Media personality and reality TV star Tacha has criticised the officiating in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Morocco, describing the match as one of the poorest-officiated games in recent memory.
Nigeria were eliminated on Wednesday after losing 4–2 on penalties following a goalless draw at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The defeat sparked widespread reactions from fans and commentators, with refereeing decisions dominating post-match discussions.
Reacting on X, Tacha faulted the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for what she described as a failure of leadership, arguing that the federation should have objected to the appointment of referees from Ghana and South Africa due to long-standing football rivalries with Nigeria.
She stated that the NFF ought to have formally petitioned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) once the referee list was announced, noting that even an unsuccessful protest could have applied pressure and encouraged fairness.
According to Tacha, the referee repeatedly disrupted the flow of the game with questionable calls, awarding fouls that confused both players and spectators. She stressed that the performance went beyond normal home advantage and amounted to poor officiating that affected the rhythm and outcome of the match.
She also urged the NFF to formally lodge a complaint with CAF, calling for a review of the officiating and questioning whether such referees should continue handling matches at that level. Tacha warned that officiating standards like those seen in the match risk undermining the credibility of African football.
Her comments echoed the sentiments of many Nigerian fans, who took to social media to express frustration over what they perceived as biased and inconsistent refereeing during the semi-final encounter.
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