Yemisi Akintoye gets her second middle assignment of the tournament as Algeria and Malawi fight for a place in the WAFCON 2026 final.
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Nigerian referee Yemisi Akintoye will take charge of Wednesday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Algeria and Malawi at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Complete Sports reports.
It is the second time Akintoye has been handed a middle of the park role at this year’s tournament. She previously officiated the Group A clash between Senegal and Kenya on 30 July, also at the Olympic Stadium, before adding fourth official duty in the tournament opener between Algeria and Kenya.
A Breakthrough Tournament For Akintoye
WAFCON 2026 marks Akintoye’s first appearance at Africa’s flagship women’s football competition, and her progression from fourth official to a semi final whistle reflects the trust CAF’s refereeing committee has placed in her this month. Nigerian officials have steadily built a reputation on the continental stage in recent years, and Akintoye’s rise adds to that.
Winners of Wednesday’s tie between Algeria and Malawi will book a place in the WAFCON 2026 final, a huge occasion for either side given neither nation has won the title before.
Enyonam Takes The Other Semi-Final
In the tournament’s second semi final, Togolese referee Vincentia Enyonam will officiate as hosts Morocco face Cameroon at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, also in Rabat. Both semi finals will determine who plays for the WAFCON 2026 trophy.
📌 Did You Know?
- WAFCON 2026 is being hosted entirely in Morocco, with matches split between Rabat venues including the Olympic Stadium and the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
- Neither Algeria nor Malawi has ever won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, meaning Wednesday’s winner will be chasing a maiden continental crown in the final.
- Malawi’s run to the last four is the country’s best showing at a WAFCON since it began featuring at the tournament, having previously never progressed past the group stage.
- CAF has increasingly turned to female match officials from across the continent for its flagship women’s tournament, with Nigeria, Togo and several other federations represented in this year’s refereeing pool.
- Nigeria’s Super Falcons, the most successful side in WAFCON history with multiple titles, did not progress to this year’s semi-final stage.
- A semi-final appointment is typically the clearest signal of a referee’s tournament grading, as CAF reserves knockout stage middle roles for its highest rated officials.
- The WAFCON 2026 final in Rabat will also carry World Cup qualification implications for the finalists, adding extra weight to both last-four ties.
