Morocco has lodged a protest with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the decision of referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa not to award a penalty against Nigeria in Saturday’s Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final.
Osasu Obiayuwana, England-based Nigerian journalist disclosed this on Tuesday in a post he shared on his official X account.
With the score between Nigeria and Morocco tied at 2-2, Twanyanyukwa had pointed to the penalty spot following a handball by Tosin Demehin, Super Falcons defender.
The Namibian referee was, however, summoned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to have a look at the on-pitch monitor, after which she overruled her initial call for a penalty.
“Morocco have lodged a protest with CAF over the decision of Namibian Referee, Antsino Twanyanyukwa not to award a penalty after deciding that Nigeria’s Tosin Demehin did not interfere with play during Saturday’s WAFCON final which Nigeria won 3-2,” Obiayuwana said.
The journalist said he asked an official of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) to speak, which he did, on the condition of anonymity.
“There are very serious statements from the match producer, who said that the VAR referee refused to take the sequences that clearly show and prove that there was an obvious penalty,” Obiayuwana quotes the FRMF official as saying.
“We are fully aware that the match will not be replayed, of course, but it is unacceptable to see such behavior from someone responsible for VAR. VAR is there to correct mistakes. It is not there for anything else.”
Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda was in charge of VAR, for the WAFCON 2024 final which took place in Rabat.
