The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Ghana’s Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea to officiate the much-anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 match between Nigeria and Morocco.
According to CAF, the encounter will hold on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 8:00 p.m. GMT.
Laryea, regarded as one of the continent’s most experienced referees, will lead a multinational officiating crew drawn from different parts of Africa to ensure balance and neutrality.
Assisting him on the touchlines will be Zakhele Thusi Granville Siwela of South Africa as Assistant Referee 1, and Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho as Assistant Referee 2.
CAF also named Arsenio Chadreque Maringule of Mozambique as Assistant Referee 3 to complete the on-field officiating team.
The responsibility of Fourth Official has been assigned to Samuel Uwikunda of Rwanda, who will oversee activities in the technical areas and manage substitutions during the match.
In addition, CAF has constituted a strong Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team for the fixture to enhance officiating accuracy.
Abongile Tom of South Africa will serve as the main VAR, while Haythem Guirat of Tunisia has been appointed as Assistant VAR 1.
Stephen Onyango Yiembe of Kenya will function as Assistant VAR 2 for the high-profile encounter.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Lidya Tafesse Abebe, a former international referee, has been named Referee Assessor for the match.
The Nigeria versus Morocco clash is widely regarded as one of the marquee fixtures of AFCON 2025, given the rich football history and continental success of both teams.
Football fans across Africa are expected to turn their attention to Rabat as the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Atlas Lions of Morocco battle for supremacy under the supervision of CAF’s elite match officials.
