The historic 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final, which saw Nigeria's Super Falcons secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over host nation Morocco, has been followed by a series of formal petitions from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). These complaints, submitted after the final whistle, have cast a shadow over Nigeria's tenth continental title and sparked a debate on fair play, officiating, and player eligibility in African football.

The Allegations: Player Eligibility and "Refereeing Injustices"

Morocco's complaints to CAF are multifaceted, addressing both player eligibility and officiating decisions during the final.

1. Player Eligibility Allegations

The most significant and potentially title-altering petition filed by Morocco challenges the eligibility of two key Nigerian defenders: Ashleigh Plumptre and Michelle Alozie. The complaint, reportedly submitted just hours before the final, alleges "inconsistencies in their nationality documentation."

Ashleigh Plumptre: Born in England, Plumptre's eligibility to represent Nigeria was approved by FIFA in 2021 based on her paternal grandfather's Nigerian citizenship.

Michelle Alozie: Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Alozie's case is considered more straightforward.

Morocco's petition claims that the "manner of their switch of nationality is faulty," citing irregularities in their claims to be Nigerian. This is a crucial point of contention, as both players have been cleared by FIFA and have played in previous tournaments, including the FIFA Women's World Cup and WAFCON qualifiers, without any such protest from other teams.

2. Refereeing Allegations

Morocco has also submitted a separate petition focusing on what they describe as "refereeing injustices" during the final. These complaints highlight several key moments:

Overturned Penalty for Morocco: In the 82nd minute, with the score tied at 2-2, the Namibian referee, Antsino Twanyanyukwa, initially awarded Morocco a penalty for a suspected handball by a Nigerian defender. However, after a VAR review, the decision was controversially overturned. Moroccan officials claim that key VAR footage was either withheld or presented in a "blurred" state, leading to a "refereeing scandal."

Penalty Awarded to Nigeria: The FRMF is also reportedly disputing the penalty awarded to Nigeria in the 63rd minute, which initiated the Super Falcons' comeback. They argue that the handball call against Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina was too harsh, as the ball allegedly struck her side rather than her arm.

Justifications and Consequences

The outcomes of these petitions carry significant ramifications for both Nigeria and Morocco.

If Nigeria is Found Guilty of the Eligibility Allegations

Should CAF uphold Morocco's protest regarding Plumptre and Alozie's eligibility, the consequences for Nigeria could be severe. In such a scenario, Nigeria could be stripped of its WAFCON title, and the gold medal would likely be awarded to Morocco. This would also mean Nigeria would forfeit the $1 million prize money. For the Super Falcons, it would be a devastating blow, nullifying their hard-fought victory and record-extending tenth title. It would also raise questions about CAF's and FIFA's processes for clearing players and could set a precedent for future eligibility challenges in African football.

If the Allegations are Rejected

Conversely, if CAF dismisses Morocco's petition, as many within the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) believe it will, the victory will be fully validated. Nigeria will officially retain its title and the prize money. Morocco's complaints would be seen as a sore loser's attempt to destabilize a deserving winner. This could lead to Morocco facing sanctions from CAF for lodging what could be deemed a "frivolous and vexatious" complaint. Furthermore, it could damage the reputation of the Moroccan Football Federation, especially after their positive image as tournament hosts. The consensus among many football observers is that the protest is "dead on arrival" as both players were duly cleared by FIFA before the tournament.

The petitions, especially those concerning officiating, are less likely to result in a change of the match outcome. The rules of football state that refereeing decisions, even if controversial, are typically final and not grounds for overturning a result. While the CAF might investigate the VAR and refereeing processes, any potential sanctions would likely be directed at the officials involved rather than at altering the final score.

The football community now awaits CAF's ruling, a decision that will not only determine the final outcome of the 2025 WAFCON but also set a precedent for how such disputes are handled in the future.

Nevertheless, upon the arrival of the winning team in Nigeria, President of the country, Bola Tinubu had rewarded the players and technical teams with unimaginable gifts including:

1. $100,000 monetary reward to each player in the Super Falcons squad.

2. A three-bedroom apartment at the Renewed Hope Housing estate in Abuja for each of the players.

3. National Awards of OON (Order of the Officer of the Niger) to each of the players.

4. $50,000 financial reward to each of the 11-member technical crew, along with other benefits.

5. Additional reward of N10 million to each player and technical team members, courtesy of the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Whatever the consequence of the petition, it is likely the team has already gained more than imagination.