The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly dismissed its Director of Refereeing, Désiré Noumandiez Doué, in the wake of a bitter fallout from the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final that saw Nigeria crowned champions for the tenth time.
The decision to part ways with Doué follows an official protest lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), who alleged “critical officiating errors” during the dramatic final in Rabat. Hosts Morocco were beaten 3–2 by Nigeria after the Atlas Lionesses squandered a two-goal lead.
Although Doué did not officiate the match himself, his responsibility for referee appointments has come under scrutiny. The final was officiated by Namibia’s Antsino Twanyanyukwa, supported by assistants from Rwanda and Senegal, with Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga overseeing the VAR.
Controversy erupted after Morocco were denied what they believed to be a clear penalty and were left incensed by what they termed a “soft” penalty awarded to the Super Falcons. The FRMF submitted a video dossier to CAF, highlighting multiple contentious decisions that, in their view, unfairly shaped the outcome of the match.
After the match, Morocco coach Jorge Vilda voiced his frustration, telling ESPN:
“We saw images that showed clear contact, but the referee overturned her own call. It impacted our players psychologically. It was a massive blow.”
In response to the storm, CAF acted swiftly and removed Désiré Noumandiez Doué from his post as the continent's number-one referee boss, according to Hespress.
Doué’s removal is said to be the first in a series of measures aimed at restoring faith in the Confederation’s refereeing standards.
Nigeria, though, remain unperturbed by the refereeing saga after claiming a record-extending 10th WAFCON trophy.
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The Super Falcons were at the wrong end of some atrocious refereeing decisions at the 2022 WAFCON also hosted by Morocco.
Led at the time by American gaffer Randy Waldrum, the Super Falcons were shown two red cards in their semifinal clash against Morocco before losing the tie on penalties. The Nigerian ladies were the defending champions at that tournament.
Following their latest triumph, the Super Falcons Nigeria have received a hero's welcome back in Nigeria.
The reigning African queens have been awarded national honours, landed properties, and cash gifts by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu.
Governors of Nigeria’s 36 states and several Super Eagles stars have also showered cash gifts on the all-conquering Super Falcons.
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