Nigeria Players Abroad
Nigeria referee Yemisi Akintoye appointed for Algeria v Malawi WAFCON 2026 semi-final
Nigeria’s Yemisi Akintoye will referee the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Algeria and Malawi at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday.
The last-four match will be Akintoye’s second appointment at this year’s tournament, as Algeria and Malawi compete for a place in the final.
Akintoye, who is making her debut at Africa’s leading women’s football competition, previously officiated the Group A meeting between Senegal and Kenya at the same venue on Thursday, 30 July.
Her appointment places her at the centre of one of the two matches that will decide which teams reach the WAFCON 2026 final. The Algeria-Malawi contest will be played at the Olympic Stadium, where Akintoye has already officiated once during the tournament.
Before taking charge of the Senegal v Kenya group fixture, the Nigerian official also worked as fourth official for the opening match between Algeria and Kenya.
The semi-final will therefore give Akintoye another opportunity to officiate a match involving Algeria, having already been part of their tournament opener in a supporting role.
The second semi-final will feature hosts Morocco against Cameroon at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Togolese referee Vincentia Enyonam has been appointed to take charge of that match.
The two semi-finals will determine the finalists of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Akintoye’s involvement represents a further assignment at the tournament after her first appearance as a referee in the Senegal-Kenya group match. Her earlier role as fourth official for Algeria v Kenya came in the opening fixture of the competition.
With the tournament now at the last-four stage, attention turns to the two matches in Rabat and the officials selected to oversee them. Akintoye will handle the meeting between Algeria and Malawi, while Enyonam will referee the encounter involving hosts Morocco and Cameroon.
Both matches carry a place in the WAFCON 2026 final at stake, with the winners progressing from the semi-final stage.
By Adeboye Amosu
