There is always something new out of Morocco. In 1988 Mauritanian referee, Idrissa Sarr was the story all over Nigeria following his questionable calls in the grand finale of the African Nations Cup between Nigeria and Cameroon. In 2026, Daniel Laryea of Ghana is the new Sarr.
Laryea was at the centre when hosts, Red Atlas Lions defeated the Super Eagles in the second semifinals of the 2026 edition. He has been called names by Nigerian fans especially for the undeserved yellow card issued to Calvin Bassey, a victim that was unduly victimised.
When Sarr awarded a dubious penalty to the Indomitable Lions, Nigerians screamed blue murder. A confrontation involving Sunday Eboigbe and foxy Roger Milla was not enough to penalise the Eagles. Emmanuel Kunde converted the kick in the 55th minute. That lone goal was the scoreline and for the second time, the Central Africans won the cup at the expense of their West African neighbours.
Henry Nwosu had headed into the net earlier in what looked like a clean goal. Sarr said no and ruled it offside. Daily Query Chief Executive, Ikeddy Isiguzo keeps explaining to me that the Mauritanian was right with the offside call.
Many read CAF politics into Sarr’s wobbly performance. The new CAF president, Issa Hayatou, a Cameroonian, was only presiding over his first major continental assignment after succeeding Yidnekatchew Tessema of Ethiopia, in August 1987.
The belief then was that Sarr wanted to impress Hayatou, at the expense of fair officiating. Both countries had met in one of the group matches and ended it 1-1. Sam Okwaraji’s bullet shot came so early in the game, long before the equaliser.
If there was one man who would not support injustice to Nigeria, he was Hayatou. He honed his skills as an administrator at the Nigeria Football Association office in Lagos, under Patrick Okpomo.
Hayatou, a Fulani prince from Garoua, in Northern Cameroon was close to the Sultanate in Nigeria. The Fulani in Mauritania are also very much in touch with their own in Nigeria. The Baba Ahmed’s of Zaria represent that link.
Laryea is very well known in Morocco. He was born in September 1987, barely a month after Hayatou assumed office as CAF president and months to the Maroc 1988 African Nations Cup. Nigerians are smelling Morocco in some of Laryea’s decisions.
In 2022, he was part of the CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco. In the final, the Ghanaian was an Assistant Video Assistant Referee (AVAR). Laryea was also one of the referees at African Nations Championships, CHAN in Morocco, eight years ago where Nigeria lost to the hosts, 4-0, in the grand finale.
Apparently, Laryea has acclimatised completely in Morocco and fingers are pointing at him for denying Cameroon a penalty in the quarter finals of the 2026 African Nations Cup against the hosts. He was the Lead Video Assistant Referee and expectations were that he should have called the attention of the centre referee.
When Sarr served Nigeria painful decisions in 1988, there was no VAR. The crowd and CAF relied on his discretion. And after that grand finale disaster, he continued as a referee even officiating at the global level.
I was in Dakar during the Senegal 1992 African Nations Cup. The Super Eagles defeated hosts Senegal 2-1 but their most difficult game was against the Leopards of Democratic Republic Congo. It was 1-0 in favour of Nigeria. Referee was Sarr.
At the ECOWAS Nations Cup, Bauchi 1990, Sarr was one of the referees. He always moved about accompanied by Hughes Joseph Mongbo of Benin Republic. I thought of so many things. The chairman of the Bauch State Football Association, was Maj.( later Maj. General ) Biodun Role, a Military Policeman.
Chairman of the Bauch State Sports Council, Capt (later Brig. Gen) Emmanuel Okoro, of the Physical Training Corps is the son of a Policeman. I thought of making a police case against Sarr. He was lucky Nigeria won the Cup.
Chairman of the Referees Committee was a retired Ghanaian officer, Maj. Joe Lamptey. I guess the man read my mind. I continued to monitor Sarr with my eyes. If we had the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) in Bauchi, I would have sent them after Sarr. Perhaps that could have been the beginning of EndSARS.
We may excuse Laryea. Morocco 2026 is tailored to make the people of Maroc smile. They have done so much for FIFA and CAF that it will take a miracle for Senegal to to win a second trophy.
The Moroccans are hosting everything. The FIFA Under 17 Championships is in their pocket. They will be hosting the Women’s African Cup of Nations, for the third time. It is like you rub my back, I rub your back. Laryea is really helpless.
Nigerians should cry less. The Eagles are yet to beat a North African host nation at the Nations Cup. Algeria won twice in 1990. Tunisia depended on penalties to advance to the finals in 2004 at the expense of Nigeria. That exactly was what Morocco did on January 15.
Have we forgotten that it was after Maroc 1988 that Admiral Augustus Aikhomu turned the Green Eagles to Super Eagles? At that time, the Green Eagles did not see red. And the Atlas Lions won nothing.
The post From Sarr to Laryea, by Emeka Obasi appeared first on Vanguard News.
