Arab Cup Final Controversy: Did Colina's Shadow Tilt Morocco-Jordan's Thrilling Showdown?
19 December 2025
Match highlights and officiating controversy
The Arab Cup final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar 2026 saw Morocco prevail 3-2 over Jordan, earning the Atlas Lions a second title after 2012. The game delivered drama from the opening whistle, with a festival of goals and decision moments that kept the stands buzzing well after the final whistle.
Goals and key moments
Morocco opened the scoring through Osama Tanan just four minutes into the match. Jordan levelled in the 48th minute through Ali Alwan. Alwan struck again in the 68th minute from a penalty to give Jordan the lead, while Abderrazak Hamdallah struck twice for Morocco in the 87th and the 100th minutes to seal the victory.
Expert perspective on the officiating
Football analyst Samir Othman criticized referee Glen Nyberg, arguing that a late Moroccan attack was not properly adjudicated and that Jordan’s defender Abdullah Nasib should not have been taken off the field for treatment. He also noted remarks about FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Colina and called for a formal review of Colina’s guidance in the match.
Othman concluded that the referee’s decisions appeared to favor Morocco, citing that the late equalizer came in a sequence where Jordan was playing with one man down after an injury stoppage. The controversy has sparked calls for review of the shooting-off-the-bench mechanics and how Colina’s instructions were applied during the game.
Final takeaway: a thrilling match, a dramatic comeback, and a whistle that will be talked about long after the trophies are polished. Punchline in 3… 2… 1…
Punchline 1: If Colina’s whistle had a dating profile, it’d say, “Loves long debates and dramatic stoppages.”
Punchline 2: In football and in sniping, timing matters—the only thing more on-target than Hamdallah’s goals was the post-match debate about the final whistle.
