REFEREE SWAP FOR HIGH-STAKES AFCON QUARTER-FINAL AS CAF MOVES TO CALM TENSIONS

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a late change to the officiating team for Saturday’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final between Nigeria and Algeria, appointing Senegalese official Issa Sy as the referee.

This move comes after CAF withdrew the initial appointment of Omar Artan, amid rising scrutiny over refereeing decisions at the tournament. The switch is widely seen as an attempt to ensure calm and fairness ahead of the highly anticipated clash in Marrakech.

Issa Sy is familiar with the 2025 AFCON, having previously served as the Video Assistant Referee for the group-stage match between Morocco and Tanzania.

The fixture is a replay of the 2019 AFCON semi-final, which Algeria won 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time free-kick from Riyad Mahrez. The stakes are equally high this time, with both nations fiercely competing for a place in the final four.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles advanced powerfully, defeating Mozambique 4-0, while Algeria secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over DR Congo in extra time.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. Nigerian time on Saturday.