Burkina Faso’s skipper Bertrand Traore didn’t hold back after his team’s narrow 1-0 loss to Algeria in their TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025 Group E clash, pointing the finger squarely at Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea.
The Sunderland forward felt the officiating turned a competitive match into a farce, especially with a controversial penalty deciding the outcome while his side was denied one early on.
“The referees are ruining the match. It is a shame for African football; we have beautiful stadiums and wonderful fans. We lost 1–0 because of a penalty, while I believe a penalty should have been awarded to me in the very first action of the match,” Traore said.
He went further, slamming Laryea’s refusal to check VAR footage despite advice through his headset. “The referee didn’t even go to review the footage. He was informed via the headset, but he stuck to his decision, and in the end, he even pushed me. This is disappointing. Losing on the pitch is fine, but the tournament should not be ruined like this.”
Burkina Faso will play Sudan in a high-stakes clash on New Year’s Eve.
