Tension on the pitch between Morocco and Cameroon spilled into the stands as Fecafoot president Samuel Eto’o reacted furiously to a controversial refereeing decision during their Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal in Rabat, which Morocco won 2-0.
A circulating video shows the former Barcelona star and current Cameroon FA president leaping from his seat and angrily gesturing toward Moroccan FA chief Fouzi Lekjaa and CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who both remained motionless and did not respond to his outburst.
Eto’o’s reaction came against a charged backdrop of refereeing disputes behind the scenes at CAF before kickoff. The game was initially assigned to Egyptian referee Amin Omar before he was replaced by Mauritania’s Dahane Beida, while two Algerian VAR officials, including Mustapha Ghorbal, were swapped out for referees from Ghana and Tunisia after protests from both Moroccan and Cameroonian sides, according to France 24.
Reports had also indicated Cameroon’s objection to having an Arab referee manage such a high‑stakes encounter. During the match, Cameroonian players demanded penalties on several occasions, but Beida waved away all appeals, further fueling frustration.
On the other side, Morocco’s players and fans celebrated progression to the semifinals, where the Atlas Lions will face the winner of Nigeria versus Algeria after previously edging Tanzania 1-0 in the round of 16. Senegal had already become the first team to reach the last four by defeating Mali 1-0.
Morocco is now chasing a long‑awaited second continental crown, fifty years after its only Afcon title in Ethiopia in 1976, buoyed by home support and a remarkable renaissance in Moroccan football.
