The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea to take charge of Nigeria’s semi-final clash against Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

CAF released the officiating lineup for the encounter on Tuesday, naming additional match officials for the high-profile fixture scheduled to take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Laryea will be assisted by Zakhele Siwela of South Africa and Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho, while Arsénio Maringule of Mozambique has been named as the third assistant referee. Samuel Uwikunda of Rwanda 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 referee assessor for the semi-final.

Nigeria head into the showdown buoyed by a dominant 2-0 quarter-final victory over Algeria, extending their impressive run at the tournament. The Super Eagles have been the most prolific side so far, scoring 14 goals in the competition.

Morocco, meanwhile, booked their place in the last four with a 2-0 win over Cameroon, setting up a mouth-watering encounter against the three-time African champions.

Looking ahead to the semi-final, midfielder Alex Iwobi praised the unity within the Nigerian camp, insisting the team is determined to make history after finishing runners-up at the previous AFCON.

“Of course, at previous AFCONs we did really well. The team was strong, but we were young and still learning about each other,” the Fulham star said.

“Now everyone is coming into their prime and performing well for their clubs. You can see the joy and chemistry when we play for our country.

“It’s not just on the pitch but off it as well. There is real unity — we are one big family. It starts with the coach, who has brought that sense of brotherhood.”