Shut Up!! As the editor of Hot 93.9FM‘s Hotfmghana.com, I have been monitoring the post-match reactions following the intense AFCON 2025 semi-final clash between Nigeria and Morocco on Wednesday night.
It is both shocking and disappointing to see a section of Ghanaians and Nigerians pointing accusing fingers at the centre referee, Daniel Laryea, for Nigeria’s exit.
Let’s be blunt; those criticising Daniel Laryea’s performance don’t just need a football rulebook—they might need “brain deliverance.”
If we are being honest and objective, the officiating we witnessed yesterday was easily the best in the entire tournament. Daniel Laryea was firm, fair, and technically sound.
He controlled a high-pressure atmosphere with the composure of a veteran.
In a tournament where we have seen several VAR controversies and questionable calls, Laryea stood out as a beacon of professionalism.
To suggest he was the reason for Nigeria’s loss is not only factually incorrect but suggests a deep-seated envy toward his rising success on the continent.
To the critics, I have one question: Did Daniel Laryea tell the Nigerian players to miss their penalties?
Football is won on the pitch, not by attacking the referee. While the Nigerian defenders put in a heroic shift, their frontline was, quite frankly, horrendously poor. You cannot win a semi-final at this level when your attackers fail to be clinical.
Shot Conversion: Nigeria had the opportunities but lacked the finishing touch.
Penalty Pressure: When it came down to the wire, the players blinked—not the referee.
Daniel Laryea has done a tremendous job and has made Ghana proud. Based on his consistency and his mastery of the semi-final, he deserves nothing less than to officiate the Grand Finale between Senegal and Morocco this Sunday.
It is time we celebrate excellence in African officiating rather than tearing down our own because of emotional bias.
Daniel Laryea didn’t lose the game for Nigeria; Nigeria’s lack of clinical finishing did.
Stop the witch-hunt!! He was a masterclass, not a scapegoat!!
