In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Olopade argued that Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea’s decisions unfairly influenced the outcome, including a yellow card for Calvin Bassey and multiple uncalled fouls against Nigerian players. He insisted that Nigeria dominated significant portions of the match and created numerous scoring opportunities.
“First of all, the game WASN’T EVEN SUPPOSED TO GET TO PENALTIES,” Olopade wrote. “If you didn’t watch the match from start to finish, please don’t involve yourself in this. Nigeria had so many chances… the Super Eagles were ready. Probably even the best form they’ve all been in a while, and we were ready. The country was ready.”
He criticized the referee’s “whistle-happy” approach, alleging favoritism toward the host nation Morocco, and called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to address the officiating lapses. “There were too many wrong calls on the Super Eagles’ part, and CAF shouldn’t be quiet about it,” he stated.
Olopade also acknowledged shortcomings in individual performances, citing Chukwueze as having played poorly, but maintained that the team’s overall display deserved better. He urged fans to evaluate the entire match rather than reducing the game to the penalty shootout, concluding that “Nigeria was robbed of the win.”
The comments have fueled ongoing conversations among fans and analysts about refereeing standards and the role of officiating in high-stakes international matches.