Latest News

Ghanaian Referee Daniel Laryea to Officiate AFCON 2025 Semi-Final Clash Between Nigeria and Morocco

Published

28 minutes ago

5:13 pm

Ghanaian Referee Daniel Laryea to Officiate AFCON 2025 Semi-Final Clash Between Nigeria and Morocco

Ghanaian referee Daniel Nii Laryea will take centre stage on Wednesday night as the centre referee for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat.

Laryea heads into the high-profile encounter with an impressive tournament résumé.

He previously served as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during Morocco’s dramatic quarter-final victory over Cameroon, where he played a key role in ensuring correct decisions in a tense, high-pressure match.

Earlier in the competition, the 39-year-old also demonstrated firm on-field authority as the centre referee during the group-stage clash between Algeria and Burkina Faso.

Widely regarded as one of Africa’s top referees, Laryea has officiated at multiple editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as numerous CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup fixtures.

He is known for his composure, fairness, and ability to manage emotionally charged encounters.

Wednesday’s semi-final promises fireworks. Morocco, buoyed by a passionate home crowd, will aim to extend their impressive tournament run, while three-time champions Nigeria look to assert their pedigree on the continental stage.

With every foul, penalty decision, or controversial call potentially shaping the outcome, Laryea’s experience in high-stakes matches will be crucial in keeping proceedings under control.

As Africa watches closely, Daniel Nii Laryea is set to play a pivotal role in the drama of one of AFCON 2025’s defining encounters.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

See Full Bio