Referee Worries Loom Over AFCON as Hafid Daraji Stands Firm

Refereeing in the Spotlight

Hafid Daraji, the Algerian commentator, warned that officiating could spoil what remains of the Africa Cup of Nations taking place this year in Morocco.

In a post on X, he listed potential finals such as Morocco vs Egypt, Nigeria vs Senegal, Egypt vs Nigeria, or Morocco vs Senegal, and stressed that the level of refereeing could become a looming concern that shadows the tournament if officials are not up to the task.

Daraji’s Critique and the Quarterfinals

Daraji has frequently criticized the tournament’s refereeing, especially on issues he describes as negative, such as ticketing for Algeria’s matches, and he argued that the standard of officiating helped Algeria exit against Nigeria in the quarterfinals.

He added that Nigeria and the referee 2-0 Algeria; Nigeria were stronger and deserved the win, but the referee provoked the Algerian players from the start by showing them six yellow cards. He pointed to the broader context of the Africa Cup of Nations, including the Senegal-Nigeria and Egypt-Nigeria potential clashes, as finals that deserve the spectacle without refereeing controversies.

The discussion touched on the knockout stage as the tournament moved forward, with Algeria and Nigeria serving as a focal point of critique and resilience in the flow of the competition.

Daraji concluded: I congratulate Nigeria on a deserved qualification, and I salute the Algerian fans for their pride and resilience as a new generation looks toward the 2026 World Cup. In Algeria, when we lose we do not collapse.

Note: The original article also references a match recap involving the Senegal and Egypt teams and the broader AFCON context, including team crests and key dates as part of the ongoing discussion about refereeing and competition quality.

Punchline 1: If referees ever start calling penalties with the precision of a chef, we might finally get a feast that tastes fair to everyone. Punchline 2: And if VAR could tell a joke, maybe the whistle would finally stop crying foul every time a shadow crosses the line.