European report debunks “refereeing bias” claims as Morocco emerge among most affected teams at AFCON 2025

A detailed technical report published by Belgian outlet DM Sport has challenged widespread claims of refereeing favoritism toward Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, revealing instead that the Atlas Lions are among the teams most affected by officiating errors.

According to the data-driven analysis, Morocco tops the list of teams negatively impacted by decisive refereeing mistakes during the tournament, contradicting narratives suggesting the host nation benefited from biased officiating.

Morocco among the most affected teams

The report places Morocco at the top of the “most affected” ranking with 15 major refereeing errors, a figure matched only by Benin and Mali. These findings directly refute allegations of preferential treatment for the tournament hosts.

Statistical breakdowns show that Morocco were denied three clear penalty kicks and were involved in four crucial situations where VAR was not applied, despite the availability of video technology.

Systemic refereeing issues, not selective bias

DM Sport emphasizes that these errors were not targeted but rather symptomatic of broader refereeing deficiencies across the competition. Benin reportedly suffered from direct technical failures within the VAR system, while Mali saw 11 major infractions ignored in high-risk zones.

The report concludes that AFCON 2025 has exposed a wider officiating crisis within African football, highlighting the urgent need for CAF to improve referee training, VAR implementation, and overall match officiating standards.

By grounding its conclusions in verified match data, the Belgian analysis dismantles what it describes as “unfounded accusations” and reinforces that Morocco’s tournament run has been shaped by performance on the pitch rather than officiating advantage.