The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Ghanaian match official, Daniel Nii Laryea, to oversee the highly anticipated semi-final encounter between Nigeria and Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The appointment was confirmed on Tuesday as CAF released the list of officials for the last-four clash scheduled to hold at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Laryea, who is regarded as one of the continent’s seasoned referees, would be assisted on the touchlines by Zakhele Siwela of South Africa and Souru Phatsoane from Lesotho.
Further strengthening the officiating team, Mozambique’s Arsénio Maringule has been named as the third assistant referee, while Rwanda’s Samuel Uwikunda will serve as the fourth official.
CAF also constituted an international Video Assistant Referee (VAR) crew for the match, with South Africa’s Tom Abongile, Tunisia’s Haythem Guirat and Kenya’s Stephen Yiembe assigned to monitor decisions from the control room.
Lydia Abebe has been appointed as the referee assessor.
Nigeria approach the semi-final with confidence after recording an impressive 2–0 victory over Algeria in the quarter-finals.
The Super Eagles have been one of the standout teams of the tournament, maintaining an unbeaten run and emerging as the highest-scoring side so far, with 14 goals to their credit.
Morocco also booked their place in the semi-finals in convincing fashion, defeating Cameroon 2–0 to set up what promises to be a thrilling contest between two African football powerhouses and former continental champions.
Speaking ahead of the decisive encounter, Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi highlighted the unity and togetherness within the Nigerian squad, describing it as a major driving force behind their strong performances.
The Fulham star noted that many of the players are now in their prime and bringing their club-level experience to the national team.
Iwobi added that the bond among the players goes beyond match days, pointing to a strong sense of family within the camp, fostered by the coaching crew.
He expressed optimism that the team is well-positioned to make history, particularly after finishing as runners-up in the previous edition of the tournament.
As anticipation builds across the continent, the Nigeria–Morocco semi-final is expected to deliver high drama, intensity and quality football, with both sides eager to secure a place in the AFCON final and move one step closer to continental glory.
