The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Senegalese referee Issa Sy to officiate Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash between Nigeria and Algeria in Marrakech.
Sy replaces Omar Artan, who was initially named for the fixture but had his appointment withdrawn amid heightened scrutiny over refereeing decisions at the tournament.
A familiar face at the 2025 AFCON, Sy previously served as Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the group-stage match between Morocco and Tanzania. CAF hopes his appointment will help ease tensions ahead of this high-stakes encounter as both teams vie for a place in the semi-finals.
The Super Eagles advanced to the quarter-finals after a commanding 4-0 victory over Mozambique, while Algeria secured their spot with a 1-0 extra-time win against DR Congo. Saturday’s game echoes the 2019 AFCON semi-final, where Algeria edged Nigeria 2-1 thanks to a late Riyad Mahrez free-kick.
The quarter-final clash is scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigerian time.
