Penalty No-Call: Morocco's AFCON Semis Push Despite Controversy
10 January 2026
Match Recap
The Moroccan national team booked a place in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals with a 2-0 victory over Cameroon on Friday night, played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, capping a strong campaign.
Morocco topped Group A with seven points, then edged Tanzania 1-0 in the Round of 16 before defeating Cameroon 2-0 to advance to the semis.
Controversy and Context
In the analysis arena, Jamal Sharif, the refereeing expert for Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, argued that Morocco deserved a late penalty against Cameroon, a claim that sparked debate among fans and pundits.
He noted that Abdessamad Zalzouli was brought down by Cameroon’s Chifondo Junior in the 34th minute, a contact that, in his view, should have been punished with a spot kick.
The Cameroonian defender clipped Zalzouli’s ankle, sending him sprawling inside the box, but the Mauritanian referee ended the sequence by signaling for play to continue.
Sharif insisted the incident warranted a penalty and cautioned Chifondo Junior, saying such a decision would have balanced the game’s momentum.
Punchline: If this game had a late penalty, it would be a late gift from the football universe—no refunds.
Punchline 2: The ball rolled, the whistle blew—Morocco still logged the win and a semifinal ticket, which is apparently now the punchline to a longer joke about referees.
