Top Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea has strongly challenged claims that he favoured host nation Morocco during their controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final victory over Nigeria.

The experienced official, who took charge of the high-stakes encounter that ended 4–2 in favour of Morocco on penalties after regulation and extra time, said he officiated strictly in line with the laws of the game, despite intense criticism on social media.

Speaking to the media upon his return to Ghana from Morocco, Laryea revealed that he deliberately ignored online backlash and rivalry-fuelled narratives that followed the match.

“For me, I just do my refereeing. I just do football,” he said. “I don’t listen to what goes in and out of social media or whatever is happening there. We just apply the laws of the game.”

Laryea described the semi-final as the biggest assignment of his refereeing career, disclosing that it was his first time officiating at that stage of the AFCON, a landmark moment that naturally came with pressure.

“As a referee, when you are given such a stage, it is a big opportunity,” he explained. “When I was appointed for the game, I felt normal, but there was a bit of anxiety because it was my first AFCON semi-final.”

He noted such matches require heightened concentration, composure, and decisiveness.

“Semi-final matches are always the toughest because teams are fighting for a place in the final,” Laryea added. “Any team that reaches that stage has already achieved something significant.”

Despite the criticism from sections of Nigerian fans and players, Laryea’s performance has been widely viewed in some quarters as a strong endorsement of Ghanaian officiating on the continental stage.

Former Sports Minister Edwin Lante Vanderpuye has described Laryea as “the best” referee at the tournament, projecting that his showing at AFCON 2025 could earn him a future call-up to officiate at the FIFA World Cup.