Sport|Africa Cup of NationsMorocco coach angrily rejects AFCON ref bias for hosts before semifinalsMorocco progressed to the semifinals beating Cameroon 2-0 but Indominable Lions felt they had two clear penalties.

Refereeing Decisions at the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations

Morocco has been subjected to scrutiny regarding refereeing decisions during the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, with claims of favorable treatment as the host nation. Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, addressed these claims following the team's 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the quarterfinals on Friday, stating that the only advantage was the support of 65,000 spectators.

In the match against Cameroon, potential penalty incidents were noted. Morocco defender Adam Masina was involved in two situations that could have resulted in penalties, and there was a decision not to issue a second yellow card to Bilal El Khannouss. No goals were disallowed for Cameroon or any other team, and Morocco has been involved in several contested decisions throughout the tournament, including VAR-reviewed penalties.

Morocco has played all its matches at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, where the majority of the crowd supports the home team. This creates a challenging environment for opponents and officials.

Morocco is set to face either Nigeria or Algeria in the semifinals on Wednesday. The final will also be held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on January 18. Morocco is considered a strong contender to win the tournament, following their historic achievement as the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup semifinals in Qatar 2022.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.