The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea to officiate Nigeria’s semi-final match against Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
CAF announced the list of officials for the highly anticipated clash on Tuesday, which will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Laryea will be joined by assistants Zakhele Siwela from South Africa and Souru Phatsoane from Lesotho. Mozambican referee Arsénio Maringule has been designated as the third assistant referee, while Rwanda’s Samuel Uwikunda will serve as the fourth official for the match.
Additionally, CAF named Tom Abongile of South Africa, Haythem Guirat of Tunisia, and Stephen Yiembe of Kenya as officials in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) booth. Lydia Abebe has been appointed as the referee assessor for the semi-final match.
The Super Eagles head into the game following a commanding 2-0 victory over Algeria in their quarter-final encounter, keeping their winning streak alive in the competition. Nigeria has emerged as the tournament’s top scoring team, netting 14 goals so far. In contrast, Morocco secured their spot in the semi-finals with a similar 2-0 win against Cameroon, setting the stage for an exciting showdown with the three-time African champions.
Ahead of the match against Morocco, midfielder Alex Iwobi expressed confidence in Nigeria’s unity, stating that the players are determined to make history after finishing as runners-up in the previous edition of the tournament. “Of course, at previous AFCONs, we have done really well. The team was so strong, but at the same time, we were young, and we were learning about each other,” the Fulham player explained.
“I feel like right now everybody is entering their prime, everyone is doing well for their clubs, and you can see the joy and the chemistry we have when playing for our country. It is not just on the pitch, but also off the pitch, there is a big unity; we are a big family. It starts from the coach — he has brought that brotherhood.”
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