WAFCON 2024 Final Controversy: CAF Fires Referees Chief Over VAR Scandal

WAFCON 2024 Final Controversy: CAF Fires Referees Chief Over VAR Scandal

Sampson Adedeji

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly dismissed Doué Noumandiez, head of its referees’ department, following a complaint from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) over controversial officiating in the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The highly contested final, played last Saturday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, saw host nation Morocco lose 2-3 to Nigeria.

In the aftermath, the FRMF accused CAF of mishandling Video Assistant Referee (VAR) operations during the match, particularly concerning a crucial penalty incident in the 78th minute involving Nigeria’s Oluwatosin Demehin.

According to Le360 Sport, an FRMF official, “The match producer made dire statements, claiming that the VAR referee refused to show footage clearly proving there was an obvious penalty.”

With Morocco expecting firm action, Doué who had led CAF’s referees’ committee since 2022 became the first casualty of the fallout.

This dismissal comes amid criticism of CAF’s refereeing standards, which had already sparked heated debates during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.