AFCON 2025: Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea to officiate Nigeria vs Morocco semi-final clash
Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea has been handed the responsibility of officiating the high-stakes AFCON 2025 semi-final clash between hosts Morocco and Nigeria.
The eagerly awaited encounter is scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off set for 20:00 GMT, as the Atlas Lions face the Super Eagles for a place in the final.
Laryea will be supported by an experienced officiating crew. South Africa’s Zakhele Thusi Granville Siwela will serve as Assistant Referee 1, while Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho takes up the role of Assistant Referee 2. Mozambique’s Arsenio Chadreque Maringule completes the on-field officiating team as Assistant Referee 3.
Rwandan official Samuel Uwikunda has been named Fourth Official and will be responsible for managing the technical areas and overseeing substitutions throughout the match.
The Confederation of African Football has also confirmed a strong Video Assistant Referee line-up for the fixture. South Africa’s Abongile Tom will act as the main VAR, assisted by Tunisia’s Haythem Guirat as Assistant VAR 1 and Kenya’s Stephen Onyango Yiembe as Assistant VAR 2.
Ethiopia’s Lidya Tafesse Abebe, one of Africa’s most respected former referees, has been appointed Referee Assessor for the semi-final.
Laryea arrives at the tie with a solid track record at the tournament. He previously served as VAR during Morocco’s tense quarter-final victory over Cameroon, where several crucial decisions were reviewed under intense pressure.
He also took charge as centre referee in the group-stage encounter between Algeria and Burkina Faso, further underlining CAF’s confidence in his ability to handle matches of the highest level.
- Below are the match officials for the big fixture: