The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has confirmed Senegalese referee Issa Sy as the new centre referee for the highly anticipated quarter-final clash between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Algeria’s Desert Foxes at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, NigeriaSoccernet.com reports.
CAF had initially appointed Somali official Omar Artan to take charge of the encounter, but the decision was later reversed amid growing concerns and tensions surrounding officiating decisions at the tournament. With the change, CAF moved swiftly to name Issa Sy, a referee considered experienced and composed, in a bid to ensure fairness and stability for one of the biggest fixtures of the competition. The match is scheduled to be played on Saturday in Marrakech, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
Issa Sy is not new to AFCON 2025 duties, having already been involved in the tournament as a Video Assistant Referee during the group-stage encounter between hosts Morocco and Tanzania. His familiarity with the competition and its officiating standards is expected to be an added advantage as pressure mounts in the knockout rounds.
The appointment is widely seen as an attempt by CAF to calm nerves ahead of the high-stakes showdown, especially given the rivalry and quality on display between both sides. Nigeria, three-time African champions, have impressed with dominant performances so far, while Algeria arrives with renewed confidence after edging past DR Congo in the Round of 16.
With emotions likely to run high and the margin for error extremely thin, all eyes will be on Issa Sy and his officiating team as they oversee a crucial quarter-final that could shape the direction of AFCON 2025.