REPORT: CAF finally bows to Morocco, sacks referees director after WAFCON final

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly removed Désiré Noumandiez Doué from his position as Director of Refereeing following a formal protest by Morocco over controversial officiating decisions in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final, according to Morocco world news.

The move comes after widespread criticism of the refereeing decisions during the final in Rabat, where Nigeria defeated host nation Morocco 3–2 to clinch the title.

Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF) lodged a strong protest earlier this week, claiming “critical errors” changed the outcome of the game.

In its complaint, the FRMF attached video clips on a CD to highlight what it described as glaring officiating mistakes, a clear penalty denied to Morocco.

A controversial penalty was awarded to Nigeria. Additional calls that were "highly debatable" and influenced the match’s momentum.

Meanwhile, Morocco's head coach, Jorge Vilda, was visibly frustrated after the game.

"We can’t understand the decision made by the referee. She gave a penalty, but then the images we saw weren’t the same as those presented to the referee. The images were clear, we were sure she had to give a penalty," Vilda told ESPN.

She added, “There was a penalty that should have stood, the referee blew for it, then VAR overturned it. We saw the handball, it was clear. That decision shocked us. It was a psychological blow."

The referee in question, Antsino Twanyanyukwa of Namibia, was supported by assistant referees from Rwanda and Senegal, with Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga leading the VAR team.