The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has removed Somali referee Omar Artan from officiating the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 quarter-final clash between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Algeria.
The decision follows growing concerns over refereeing appointments at the ongoing tournament in Morocco, with several teams and football stakeholders questioning the neutrality and selection process of match officials.
According to reports, the development was confirmed after an emergency two-hour meeting involving CAF’s Referees Committee and officials overseeing the tournament.
The meeting reportedly focused on escalating tensions surrounding officiating decisions and the need to safeguard the credibility of the competition.
In a further move aimed at controlling the situation, CAF has imposed strict secrecy on the refereeing teams assigned to key fixtures involving Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria.
Details of the new officials for these matches are expected to be communicated only to the teams concerned shortly before kickoff.
The refereeing controversy has dominated discussions at AFCON 2025 in recent days, with multiple North African teams reportedly expressing dissatisfaction over certain appointments.
CAF’s latest intervention is seen as an attempt to calm tensions and restore confidence in the officiating process as the tournament enters its decisive stage.
Nigeria and Algeria are set to face off in one of the standout quarter-final encounters, with both sides eyeing a place in the semi-finals amid heightened scrutiny on match officials.
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