Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has angrily rejected claims that the AFCON 2025 hosts are receiving favorable refereeing.
The defense comes after the “Atlas Lions” secured a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Cameroon, a match marred by several controversial officiating decisions.
Cameroon appealed for two penalties involving Morocco defender Adam Masina—one for a trip on Bryan Mbuemo and another for an elbow on Etta Eyong.
Referee Dahane Beida dismissed both and declined to send off Morocco’s Bilal El Khannouss for a tactical foul, despite there being no VAR reviews on the night.
“We are the team to beat, so people try to find reasons to say we have an advantage,” Regragui stated. “The only advantage is playing in front of 65,000 spectators. We speak on the field.”
The controversy follows similar complaints from Mali and Tanzania earlier in the tournament. Despite the noise, Morocco remains the heavy favorite as they prepare for a semifinal clash against Nigeria this Wednesday.
