The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has launched a formal bid to overturn Nigeria’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) victory, lodging twin protests with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following their dramatic 3-2 loss in Sunday’s final.
The petitions challenge both the match officiating and the eligibility of two Nigerian stars, seeking to strip the Super Falcons of their record-extending 10th title.
In a fiery 19-page protest document, the FRMF condemned what it termed “systematic refereeing injustices” during the final in Rabat, where Nigeria rallied from 0-2 down to clinch the trophy. Central to Morocco’s grievance is the 82nd-minute reversal of a penalty initially awarded by referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa of Namibia. After a prolonged VAR review, Twanyanyukwa overturned her own decision despite Moroccan players and officials insisting a Nigerian defender handled the ball inside the box with scores level at 2-2.
“The VAR intervention was manipulated,” asserted Hassan Boutabssil, Director of Morocco’s Arryadia TV, alleging broadcast feeds showed clear handball evidence that was “withheld or obscured” from the referee. “This scandalous reversal denied us a decisive opportunity to reclaim the lead.”
Morocco also contested Nigeria’s 63rd-minute penalty – the catalyst for their comeback – arguing defender Nouhaila Benzina was penalized for an “inadvertent torso contact,” not a handball. The FRMF claims these “critical errors” distorted the match’s outcome.
Separately, Morocco revived a pre-final eligibility protest against defenders Ashleigh Plumptre and Michelle Alozie. Though FIFA cleared Plumptre in 2021 based on her Nigerian grandfather, the FRMF alleges “documentary irregularities” in both players’ nationality switches. The federation demands CAF retroactively disqualify Nigeria, asserting: “Victory achieved through ineligible athletes and compromised officiating cannot stand.”
CAF has acknowledged receipt of the protests and will convene its disciplinary committee for review. Nigeria’s Football Federation (NFF) dismissed the claims as “sour grapes,” stating, “Our title was earned squarely on the pitch.”
The controversy casts a shadow over Nigeria’s historic triumph as African football braces for a contentious legal battle over the continent’s most prestigious women’s trophy.
