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CAF Sacks Refereeing Chief After WAFCON Final Controversy

 


The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly dismissed its Director of Refereeing, Désiré Noumandiez Doué, following backlash over controversial officiating in the WAFCON 2025 final. The July 26 match saw Nigeria's Super Falcons complete a stunning comeback from 2–0 down to defeat host nation Morocco 3–2, securing their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title. Jennifer Echegini scored the winning goal in the 88th minute.


However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) filed a formal protest after the match, citing critical officiating errors. These included a denied penalty for Morocco and a questionable one awarded to Nigeria. The final was officiated by Namibia's Antsino Twanyanyukwa, with VAR handled by Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga. Moroccan officials argued that video footage proving a clear handball was withheld, accusing the VAR team of bias. This outcry prompted CAF to reportedly remove Doué as the first move to restore public confidence in its refereeing standards


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While Désiré Doué did not officiate the WAFCON final himself, his role in appointing match officials came under fire amid the backlash. Morocco’s protest included detailed video evidence and criticism of the VAR decisions, particularly one reversed penalty call after review. An unnamed FRMF official accused referee Salima Mukansanga of deliberately excluding critical footage, saying, “VAR exists to correct mistakes, not create them.”


This incident has reignited long-standing concerns about officiating standards and impartiality in African football. Nigerian fans, meanwhile, have recalled controversial calls against the Super Falcons in the 2022 WAFCON semifinals also held in Morocco where Nigeria received two red cards in a penalty shootout loss.


CAF has not released an official statement confirming Doué’s removal, but several reliable sources say the decision has been made. The move appears to be part of wider reforms aimed at addressing increasing criticism and restoring credibility to refereeing across African competitions


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