The Confederation of African Football has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash between Nigeria and Algeria at the Stade de Marrakech.
Artan is regarded as one of Africa’s most respected referees and is among the officials selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He previously took charge of the Algeria versus Mauritania group-stage match at the 2023 AFCON.
Nigeria secured their place in the quarter-finals with a dominant 4-0 win over Mozambique on Monday, with Victor Osimhen scoring twice and Ademola Lookman providing three assists.
Algeria advanced after edging past the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in extra time, thanks to a dramatic 118th-minute goal from substitute Adil Boulbina.
Saturday’s fixture will revive memories of the 2019 AFCON semi-final, which Algeria won 2-1 through a late Riyad Mahrez free kick before going on to claim their second continental title.
Since that success, Algeria have struggled to progress beyond the group stage in subsequent tournaments, while Nigeria reached the final of the last AFCON in Ivory Coast in 2023.
The Super Eagles have been impressive at the 2026 AFCON, winning all four matches and scoring 12 goals so far. Head coach Eric Chelle has urged his players to stay focused as they pursue Nigeria’s first AFCON title since 2013.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigerian time on Saturday.
