2024 Women's AFCON: Can Morocco's complaint change the outcome of the final?

Africa 29 July 2025 at 13:44

Mohamed Rek

News Editor

After the Women's Africa Cup of Nations final, in which Nigeria triumphed over Morocco with a 3-2 victory last Saturday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed an official complaint against the refereeing.

Could Nigeria lose its title because of Morocco's protest?

This complaint centers on a controversial decision that occurred in the closing minutes of the match, when Namibian referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa reversed her initial penalty award to Morocco following a VAR review.

The Moroccan federation argues that the video assistant referee, Rwandan Salima Mukansanga, failed to provide clear enough angles, which may have influenced the final decision of the main referee.

Furthermore, Moroccan federation president Fouzi Lekjaa voiced his displeasure immediately after the match, publicly criticizing the Namibian referee's performance in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the trophy presentation ceremony.

Despite the controversy, sources close to CAF have confirmed that this protest is purely technical and will not affect the final result or the title awarded to Nigeria.

Thus, Morocco misses out on the title once again, after also losing the 2022 final to South Africa (1-2).

Also read: 2024 Women's AFCON: The tournament's best XI!