The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed its Director of Refereeing, Désiré Noumandiez Doué, following Morocco’s formal protest against officiating in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final.
Morocco were beaten 3–2 by Nigeria in Rabat, after initially taking a two-goal lead. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) lodged a complaint, alleging questionable VAR call impacted the outcome.
The final was officiated by Namibia’s Antsino Twanyanyukwa, with Rwandan and Senegalese officials assisting. VAR was overseen by Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga.
Although Doué did not officiate the match directly, his responsibility for referee appointments made him accountable for the quality and fairness of decisions.
Photo Credit: X
Morocco coach Jorge Vilda criticised the officiating post-match, telling ESPN:
“We saw images that showed clear contact, but the referee overturned her own call. It impacted our players psychologically. It was a massive blow.”
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Controversy erupted after Morocco were denied what they believed to be a clear penalty and were left incensed by what they termed a “soft” penalty awarded to the Super Falcons.
The FRMF submitted a video dossier to CAF, highlighting multiple contentious decisions that, in their view, unfairly shaped the outcome of the match.
Photo Credit: CAF
CAF responded by removing Doué from his position and vowed to introduce reforms to restore credibility to African officiating.
Sources say his dismissal is the first of several changes aimed at improving refereeing standards on the continent.
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Despite the protest, Nigeria’s Super Falcons celebrated a record-extending 10th WAFCON title and were received as heroes in Abuja, where they were awarded national honours, houses, and cash gifts by President Bola Tinubu.
