Referee assignments for the semifinals of 2025 AFCON.
Semifinals
18:00 CET - Tanger (Grand Stade de Tanger)
SENEGAL - EGYPT
Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho GAB
Assistant Referee 1: Boris Marlaise Ditsoga GAB
Assistant Referee 2: Styven Danek Moutsassi Moyo CGO
Fourth Official: Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala CODReserve Assistant Referee: Amos Abeigne Ndong GAB
Video Assistant Referee: Peter Waweru Kamaku KEN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Letticia Antonella Viana SWZ
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue CMR
CAF Referee Assessor: Inácio Manuel Cândido ANG
21:00 CET - Rabat Rabat (Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah)
NIGERIA - MOROCCO
NIGERIA - MOROCCO
Referee: Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea GHA
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Thusi Granville Siwela RSA
Assistant Referee 2: Souru Phatšoane LES
Fourth Official: Samuel Uwikunda RWA
Reserve Assistant Referee: Arsénio Chadreque Maringule MOZ
Video Assistant Referee: Abongile Tom RSA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Haythem Guirat TUN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe KEN
CAF Referee Assessor: Lidya Tafesse Abebe ETH
What a strange appointment, as Laryea only officiated one GS fixture, and has no experience at all in the Knockout Stage of AFCON, Champions League, or any other CAF’s match.
ReplyDeleteEven if Beida was originally planned for semi, replaced Artan in QF and had controversy, there are still other names such as Ndala, can’t understand at all how they chose Laryea.
The most amazing choice of all is actually Waweru, who never VAR-ed once (not even AVAR) during the whole tournament yet!
DeleteM4: S.Africa-Angola (res)
M16: Angola-Zimbabwe (ref)
M31: Benin-Senegal (res)
M40: S.Africa-Cameroon (ref)
M47: Algeria-Nigeria (res)
As I said before, CAF clearly had great expectations for Dickens Nyagrowa being the leading non-Arab VAR, but it was surely a tale of two dubious interventions (arm use penalty in Egy-Rsa and bogusly-alledged SFP in Alg-Bfa) which cost the clearly struggling Kenyan official. Given that Mali went out, I don’t see why Chimene couldn’t have acted as Senegal-Egypt’s VAR (ie it wouldn’t have been a third straight Mali game for him), but for whatever reason he must have been deemed ineligible.
The other two appointments, a bit inological and apparently totally random respectively, are clearly explained by an embargo on Arab officials in this round. Ndala not refereeing either game suggests he will do the final?
Finally, a thought for Amos Abeigne Ndong, at first selected for the Arab Cup before being later replaced by the Congolese linesman, and now to be dropped for this semifinal in place of the same official while he will only be the reserve. Must be hard to take for him!
Very confusing... why is there an embargo on Arab officials?
DeleteI had thought that it was very clear that Ghorbal would do the Final: he and Beida are clearly the two best referees in Africa, and Beida had the Final last tournament, and Ghorbal has never had the Final. It surely seemed like the Final was all his, and Ndala would have one of the semifinals.
Laryea's appointment in itself is a real headscratcher...
Concernant le match MAR NGR ,
ReplyDeleteLe Terrain qui reçoit les deux équipes c'est le GRAND STADE MOULAY ABDELLAH .
ReplyDelete🇩🇿 Mustapha Ghorbal
🇨🇩 Jean Ndala
🇪🇬 Amin Omar
🇬🇦 Pierre Atcho
🇲🇷 Dahane Beida
🇲🇦 Jalal Jayed
🇸🇳 Issa Sy
🇸🇴 Omar Artan
🇪🇬 Mahmoud Ismail
9 arbitres présélectionnée pour la WC 2026
1 seule arbitre qui prend le sifflet de la demi-finale ???
It seems these referee out of Continent of Final game appointed Ghorbal 🇩🇿
ReplyDeleteIssa Sy 🇸🇳
Amin Omar 🇪🇬
Pierre Atcho 🇬🇦
Jalal 🇲🇦
Dahane Beida 🇲🇷
Possible Referees Challenging Final Game
Omar artan 🇸🇴
Mahmoud 🇸🇩
Abongile Tom 🇿🇦
Ndala 🇨🇩
Artan was send home
DeleteAbongile Tom for the final ?!
DeleteGuida and Mariani have been assigned to some postponed serie A games, to be played on Thursday. This should mean that both are appointed in Champions League on next week, so good for them to have more days before.
ReplyDeleteLots of people on Social Media not happy with the Man City offside decision tonight for Haaland interfering with the Newcastle defender whilst stood in an offside decision. VAR Attwell sent Kavanagh for a OFR. https://x.com/ErlingProp/status/2011188828166402255/photo/2
ReplyDeletePersonally I think it's a good decision. Attwell took too long to send Kavanagh to the screen though.
DeleteCorrect decision, people don't like long, more 'technical' offsides when they think everything is fine, and would be if VAR didn't get involved, but this is a punishable offside, with the defender clearly blocked from being able to attempt to stop the ball. The timing was on the long side, but given that SAOT wouldn't work due to so many players close together, then it being hard to find the correct foot without zooming in super close, I think it's one of these where it will always take some time, and people have to put up with that. Also, the announcements (which fans wanted in the stadium) leads to more time at the monitor whilst the referee considers what they will say. Then, people moan about the overall time. Ultimately, the officials and lawmakers can't win! There were so many steps that I can forgive the time, even if it was a little lengthy. Good decision as you say in the end
Delete” making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball”
DeleteChefren, not to be picky but the correct order of the Congolese referee's name is, Jean-Jacques Ngambo NDALA and Not Ndala Ngambo. I notice you always write it in the latter format.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I think he could be the one to do the final.
I couldn't know, he is reported in that (wrong) way evrywhere.
DeleteI know him as Ndala Ngambo and not the opposite, that's how he is named even in the CAF Champions league!
DeleteNo he's not named as Ndala Ngambo. If you check the CAF website that publishes match officials, all the time he is named as Ngambo NDALA.
DeleteHum https://www.cafonline.com/media/hmclr42d/list-afcon-2023-selected-referees-2.pdf
DeleteWell https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/match-centre?competition=190&season=2025&match=2506774
Deletehttps://e-s-tunis.com/fr/news/2025/03/31/15539-le-congolais-ndala-ngambo-pour-msfc-est
Deleteif you scroll down this link, you will see how he is named in the CAF Champions League
https://www.facebook.com/ConfederationAfricaineDeFootball
DeleteSo all these years, everyone was wrong, the only one who was right is a guy who does the graphic design for the AFCON 2025 referee appointments; he definitely knows all about referee names and couldn't have been wrong.
DeleteSo many protests directly in the referee’s face from Egypt after an easy yellow card that everyone in the world knows is a yellow card; yet again, Atcho continues the pattern of dissent being absolutely permitted at AFCON.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteVery good early YC by Atcho. Good one and gestion of dissent after with abilities. I m ok in this sequence with referee management.
DeleteIf he continue to allowed protest . He will struglle in second half .
DeleteGood to see Atcho allowing some physical contact and not giving soft fouls for everything
ReplyDeleteNever, Never and again Never african refereeing can be trust with this kind of lenient job on benches. Fourth and fifth officials had been pushed. Unbelievable to stay just with a little smile and 3 words. No, no and no.
ReplyDeleteAnd what led to this issue? A very easy, simple foul decision met with at least four Egyptians in the referee’s face. And the only yellow card of the situation goes to Senegal #7, I don’t know for what.
DeleteAgree. Catastrophic management here from A to Z…
DeleteAnd why this YC to Senegal player ? For what ? And what about Salah dissent ?
ReplyDeleteAtcho will lose control in the second half
ReplyDeleteMissed clear corner for Senegal and in addition without collaboration with congolese AR who had clear view and had bien overrulled by ref before to give the corner. Not a good end for ref. Too many leniency with dissent also.
DeleteFunny end to the first half, Atcho was going to let Senegal take their corner kick slightly beyond the added time, but they took so long to get a kicker over to the corner that the referee simply blew for halftime!
ReplyDeleteAtcho used his personality to his advantage in this match, and had a consistent level of foul selection, never giving free kicks for small contacts. However, I am left with questions on how he will handle a match where players do not accept his personality or foul threshold; does he have other tools he can use in that case? He didn't need anything more in this game, but we can easily point to his (lack of) management of dissent as a worry that he may not have answers. Alternatively, one could blame the presumed CAF instruction to allow a free-for-all with dissent all tournament for this issue.
ReplyDeleteAs at the last AFCON, Atcho showed a very good physical fitness, with many moments of impressive athleticism; However, his positioning made me uneasy at times, as he found himself in awkward areas where he had to dodge the ball at times. One example from the first half, I don't remember the minute, but Senegal were on a counterattack, and he was outrunning the counterattack and ran straight into an obvious pass through the midfield, having to dodge the ball with an athletic jump.
He had issue with reading games and play still. Also he had problem with team work .
DeleteDecent enough performance, helped by Egypts passive style. Expecting the later game to be alot more challenging
ReplyDeletehttps://ibb.co/rnq1520
ReplyDeleteNo comment
Minute 33. Attacker pulls jersey then accidental contact in his face and gets free kick. Should be free kick the other way and no card. Not reckless and not SPA.
ReplyDeleteHorrible decision that puts bassey out the final
ReplyDeleteAgree. Wrong assessment IMO by Laryea.
DeleteHow did Simon Hooper pass the fitness test? He appears to be clearly out of shape. Watching him reminds me of what Jonas Eriksson talk about his book explained how Collina, when he was Head of UEFA Refereeing, publicly humiliated referees who were not fit enough and was extremely strict about physical condition.
ReplyDelete52’ : missed foul for Nigeria. Huge protest with 20 m done to come in front of ref by Nigeria GK. No reaction by ghanaean umpire. No personnality. No soul. You can’t be in semi-final of continental main competition and be a phantom like Laryea. Speechless.
ReplyDeleteFoul detection is horrific and Morocco oriented with false or micro contacts always whistled by ref. No convincing at all in all skills to be here for this kind of match.
ReplyDeleteAnd this approach has been incredibly consistent through over 100 minutes.
DeleteDaniel Laryea seems to be completely lost on pitch as a child panicked with an adult work to assume. What a pity.
ReplyDeleteLost count of the number of soft fouls and soft handballs given to the home team. Terrible game and even worse referee
ReplyDeleteWonder if this is down to incompetence or getting overwhelmed by the occasion.
DeleteThe free kick given to morocco in minute 105 sums up this utterly pathetic referee. Embarrassing is not strong enough
ReplyDeleteNo need to point out all the referee's ‘mistakes’ since they're not mistakes but deliberate biased decisions. Nigeria is getting a taste of its own medicine after having been favoured in the previous match.
ReplyDeleteThat's a nonsense statement! There was no favours given to Nigeria previously. The team was too strong for Algeria
DeleteYes, nothing but one-sided fouls, one-sided cards and a clear penalty denied. I can make any team dominate under these conditions.
DeleteSum up of Laryea coward refereeing : 1 mn of extra-time at 120´. Substitution for Nigeria. 45 seconds used and whistled without any compensation of lost time. « Please stop the match quickly » !
ReplyDeletePrediction final : Jean-Jacques Ngombo Ndala.
ReplyDeleteIsmail 60%
ReplyDeleteNdala 30%
Pacifik 10%
I heard of a handball incident in Morrocco vs Nigeria. Any video?
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.me/v/88bbf109
DeleteWhat are some of these comments? 😀 Daniel Laryea is a generally solid-ish referee (for Afcon level) who makes too many unpredictable/wrong decisions over the course of the match. The appointment by CAF was terrible but all things considered, Laryea was mostly okay: getting out of this game with an 8,1-style performance can be considered a success for the Ghana referee. The key was the difficulty in the game (lack of), because of the way that both teams played.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I was very impressed with Atcho yesterday, who showed skills in (actually) managing the game that I had never seen from him before. His biggest weakness was not reacting against mobbing, which eroded away some of his match control. This was overall a quite accomplished performance by the referee from Gabon, at a very beneficial time in the race for the World Cup. Here are some clips from the game:
https://streamin.me/v/fba1e6b2
https://streamin.me/v/47457159
https://streamin.me/v/46692b7f
Finally, I guess the final will be refereed by Ndala with Tom as Var.