Mikel Blasts Referee Ndala Over AFCON 2025 Final Decisions

Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has strongly criticised Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala for his handling of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat.

The match was marred by controversy after Ndala disallowed what many considered a legitimate Senegal goal in the second half, before awarding Morocco a stoppage-time penalty following a VAR review.

The incident, involving El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Brahim Diaz, sparked outrage among Senegalese players, who briefly walked off the pitch under coach Pape Thiaw’s directive.

The game was halted for nearly 20 minutes until Sadio Mane persuaded his teammates to resume play. Diaz missed the resulting penalty, and Senegal went on to secure a 1-0 victory in extra time.

Mikel condemned the referee’s decisions, questioning both the disallowed goal and the penalty award.

‘I don’t agree with the disallowed goal of Sarr. For me, it was a valid goal because Hakimi went down too easily. And even if the referee considered the goal invalid, why did he blow his whistle so early? He should have waited a bit to analyse the situation and perhaps consult VAR,’ Mikel told Wiwsport.com..

He added: ‘On the other hand, when he awarded the penalty to Morocco, he went to VAR very quickly. The way the referee handled the situation was terrible. Disallowing a goal for Senegal and then awarding a penalty to Morocco two minutes later was terrible.’