Penalty denied to Tanzania against Morocco? Experts weigh in

04.01.26 FT AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

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A heated refereeing controversy erupted during the clash between Morocco and Tanzania, played in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. After widespread circulation of the contentious incident, several refereeing experts have shared their analysis regarding whether a penalty should have been awarded to the Tanzanian side.

> The match, held at Prince Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, lived up to expectations in terms of intensity. However, a refereeing decision made in the dying moments of the game sparked a wave of reactions.

The controversial moment unfolded in the 94th minute, when Tanzanian players called for a penalty following a challenge between striker Iddy Nado and Moroccan defender Adam Masina. Despite the protests, Malian referee Boubou Traoré decided to let play continue.

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In his technical analysis broadcast on a sports channel, former Syrian international referee Jamal Al-Sharif stated that the referee's decision was correct. According to him, the contact between Masina and the Tanzanian striker was natural and did not involve any clear pull or push significant enough to warrant a penalty.

He also pointed out that the incident did not meet the criteria for a foul requiring VAR intervention.

In contrast, Egyptian refereeing expert Gamal Al-Ghandour held an opposing view. In his analysis published on the Qatari website WinWin, he argued that the referee had denied Tanzania a legitimate penalty. According to him, there was a clear pull and push inside the area on the Tanzanian striker, who was in full control of the ball.

Al-Ghandour further stated that the main responsibility lay with the video assistant referee for failing to intervene and invite the central referee to review the contentious incident.

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Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations