Nigeria vs Algeria: CAF Removes Referee Omar Artan Ahead of AFCON Clash

Just hours before the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 quarter-final between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Algeria, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has withdrawn Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan from officiating the high-profile match in Marrakech. The decision was confirmed on Friday following reports that Artan breached tournament commercial regulations by wearing boots from a brand not approved by CAF’s official sponsors during a previous match at AFCON a violation of contractual sponsorship rules. CAF’s strict enforcement of these guidelines left the continental body little choice but to remove him from the fixture.

Artan, who was recently named CAF Referee of the Year and praised for his performances earlier in the tournament, will not oversee the Super Eagles’ game. CAF has since appointed Senegalese referee Issa Sy to officiate the quarter-final clash, with a full team of match officials and VAR assistants also named to ensure the fixture proceeds smoothly under strict regulatory compliance.

The abrupt change has heightened scrutiny around officiating at AFCON 2025, with reports of broader tensions within CAF’s referees committee and unease over earlier controversial decisions in the tournament. The unexpected move adds another subplot to what is already one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the competition.

Editorial

In the rarefied theatre of knockout football, where tension and expectation are inseparable companions, the sudden removal of Omar Abdulkadir Artan as referee for the Super Eagles versus Algeria quarter-final is a curious twist one that reveals as much about the governance of the game as it does about its on-field drama. The match, already laden with narrative and continental significance, now carries an off-field subplot that few anticipated but which speaks to the intricate choreography of modern tournament administration.

Artan’s replacement — ostensibly for a breach of commercial regulation rather than any question of officiating competence — underscores a tension that runs through contemporary sport: the collision between regulatory fidelity and competitive continuity. Here was an official widely respected across African football, recently lauded as CAF Referee of the Year, sidelined not for a misjudged call but for an equipment technicality that violated sponsorship agreements. In doing so, CAF has demonstrated its unyielding commitment to contractual obligations, yet in the process sparked debate about perspective and proportion.

There is an irony in this moment. The match officials, like the athletes they oversee, operate within a framework that prizes precision and judgment their neutrality is sacrosanct. To remove an official on the brink of one of the tournament’s marquee fixtures not for on-pitch conduct but for an administrative misstep invites reflection about priorities. Football abounds with rules — some central to sporting integrity, others tied to commercial frameworks that underpin the sport’s financial ecosystem. The distinction, however subtle, matters deeply when the stage is as grand as AFCON’s quarter-finals.

Equally significant is the wider context of refereeing angst permeating the tournament disagreements among CAF’s referees committee, controversial decisions in earlier rounds and rival federations seeking changes of officials have all converged into a narrative of tension and scrutiny. The withdrawal of Artan, therefore, is not an isolated incident but part of a crescendo that has shaped perceptions of officiating at AFCON 2025.

As Issa Sy prepares to take the whistle, the focus must inevitably return to the 22 players on the pitch. Yet one cannot entirely divorce the conversation from this curious interlude a reminder that football’s storylines now unfold as much in corridors of governance as on grass pitches, and that the drama surrounding the game extends far beyond the final whistle. In Marrakech, where stakes are high and history beckons, this chapter improbable as it may be will be part of how this meeting of giants is remembered.

Did You Know?

1. Commercial Compliance Rules CAF requires all match officials to wear equipment only from brands approved by the tournament’s official sponsors violations of these rules can lead to sanctions.
2. Artan’s Accolade Omar Abdulkadir Artan was recently named CAF Referee of the Year at the 2025 CAF Awards, recognising his performances across African football competitions.
3. Tournament Refereeing Tensions Reports indicate internal disagreements within CAF’s referees committee contributed to delays and disputes over quarter-final officiating appointments.
4. Replacement Match Official Senegalese referee Issa Sy has been appointed to take charge of the Nigeria vs Algeria quarter-final, bringing experience from earlier tournament duties.
5. Broader Officiating Changes Similar referee changes occurred in other quarter-final matches  for example, Mauritanian referee Dehane Beida was appointed for the Morocco vs Cameroon game after a request from the Moroccan federation.