Laryea Breaks Silence After AFCON Semifinal Storm

Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea has responded to criticism over his officiating in Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 semifinal loss to Morocco, admitting the pressure of the occasion affected him. Speaking in a video, Laryea described the match as “the toughest game of the entire tournament” as Morocco beat the Super Eagles 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.

“Normally in tournaments, semi-finals are the toughest games… this is their stage when going to the final,” he said, stressing AFCON is “the biggest stage in Africa.”

Laryea also revealed it was a personal first. “That was my first time doing a semi-final in AFCON,” he said, adding that despite experience at three tournaments, “you have a bit of anxiety because of the level.”

He dismissed claims of bias over decisions, including Calvin Bassey’s yellow card, saying, “For me, I just do my refereeing… I don’t listen to what goes on in or out.”