Referee Spotlight at AFCON 2025: Morocco, Benin Hit Hardest; Algeria Ranks 12th
12 January 2026
AFCON 2025: Officials under the spotlight as Morocco and Benin feel the heat
According to a prominent Moroccan sports daily, Morocco and Benin were among the teams most affected by officiating decisions in AFCON 2025.
The Mountakhab reports that the Moroccan side could have had three penalties awarded and notes eight clear fouls in the final third went unpunished by the referees.
Additionally, the same publication claims that VAR did not review four pivotal scenes, bringing the total referee-influenced incidents affecting the Atlas Lions to 15 during the tournament.
Rivals and Progress
By contrast, the Algerian team, despite repeated complaints about officiating, placed 12th on the list of teams most harmed by refereeing errors.
Morocco advanced to the semi-finals in a fiery clash slated for Wednesday against Nigeria, which had previously eliminated Algeria in the quarter-finals.
The other semi-final sees Egypt facing Senegal, also on Wednesday.
Punchline 1: If referees were players, VAR would give them a red card for offside humor.
Punchline 2: My fantasy football team is just a VAR-free zone—no drama, just terrible judgment calls we can all blame on the red flags in my kitchen.
