OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Somali official Omar Artan to oversee the highly anticipated AFCON 2025 quarter-final between Nigeria and Algeria this Saturday.
Artan, who was recently named CAF Referee of the Year, is considered one of the elite officials on the continent. His appointment is seen as a mark of the match’s high stakes, as he is also among the select group of African referees designated for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The experienced official previously officiated the Algeria versus Mauritania group clash at the 2023 AFCON.
The Super Eagles booked their place in the last eight with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Mozambique on Monday, with Victor Osimhen scoring twice and Ademola Lookman providing three assists.
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Algeria, meanwhile, defeated Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in extra time courtesy of a dramatic 118th-minute strike from substitute Adil Boulbina.
Saturday’s encounter will be a repeat of the 2019 AFCON semi-final between both teams, which Algeria won 2-1 courtesy of a late free kick from Riyad Mahrez. The Desert Foxes went on to lift the trophy, claiming their second continental title.
Since that triumph, Algeria have failed to progress beyond the group stage in subsequent editions, while Nigeria reached the final of the last tournament in Ivory Coast in 2023.
The Super Eagles have been in imperious form at the 2026 AFCON, winning all four matches and scoring 12 goals. Head coach Eric Chelle has urged his players to avoid distractions and maintain focus as they chase Nigeria’s first AFCON title since 2013.
The match will kick off at 5pm Nigerian time on Saturday.