The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea to officiate Nigeria’s semi-final encounter against Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
CAF released the list of match officials for the high-profile fixture on Tuesday, confirming that the game will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Laryea will be assisted by Zakhele Siwela of South Africa and Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho, while Mozambique’s Arsénio Maringule has been named as the third assistant referee. Rwanda’s Samuel Uwikunda will serve as the fourth official.
For Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties, CAF selected Tom Abongile of South Africa, Haythem Guirat of Tunisia and Stephen Yiembe of Kenya. Lydia Abebe has been appointed as the referee assessor for the semi-final.
The Super Eagles head into the clash in fine form, having recorded a convincing 2–0 victory over Algeria in the quarter-finals to maintain their winning streak at the tournament. Nigeria have also emerged as the most prolific side so far, scoring 14 goals in the competition.
Morocco, on their part, secured a 2–0 win over Cameroon to book their place in the semi-final and set up the much-anticipated showdown with the three-time African champions.
Ahead of the encounter, Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi praised the unity within the Nigerian camp, noting that the team remains focused on making history after finishing second 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 star said.
“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.”
