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The Confederation of African Football, CAF, on Friday confirmed the referees for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations third-place playoff between Nigeria and Egypt on Saturday.

Jalal Jayed has been appointed to be the centre referee for the game.

Jayed will be assisted by Zakaria Brinsi, Akarkad Mostafa and Hassani Khalil.

The fourth official for the match is Peter Waweru Kamaku.

The main VAR official will be Lahlou Benraham, and he will be assisted by Haythem Guirat and Hamza El Fariq.

Sinko Zeli has been appointed as the referee assessor for the penultimate game of this AFCON.

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The Instagram page of Ghanaian referee, Daniel Nii Laryea, has been brought down.

This followed what many have described as controversial officiating during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco.

There has been apprehension over his nationality ahead of the game, with Ghana and Nigeria bitter West African rivals.

Nii Laryea did not douse those fears as he made some questionable calls, including showing Calvin Bassey a yellow card which triggered a one-match ban.

Nigerian fans reportedly found the Ghanaian official’s page on Instagram and Twitter and mass-reported it.

“The referee was appalling,” Nigeria defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, said in the mixed zone.

“I’m not saying that’s the reason why we lost but he was making very, very wrong decisions and it’s really painful to see that we have referees like that in a game like today.”

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We’re proud of you despite loss to Morocco, FG hails hard fighting Super Eagles

The Federal Government has hailed the Super Eagles for their hard fighting spirit and commendable showing at the Africa Cup of Nations, despite their loss that ended Nigeria’s campaign.

Nigeria bowed out of the 2025 AFCON on Wednesday after losing to Morocco’s Atlas Lions in a tense penalty shootout, a result that sent the North African side through to the final.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Super Eagles’ performance reflected discipline, unity and resilience, values he noted resonate strongly with the Nigerian spirit.

He added that the team’s determination throughout the tournament remained a source of pride for the country, regardless of the outcome.

“Even in defeat, you showed character, teamwork, and resilience, and those qualities matter deeply to the nation you represent.

“Football has its highs and lows, but your effort, commitment, and fighting spirit throughout this tournament have earned the respect and gratitude of Nigerians at home and abroad.

“You reminded us that wearing the green and white is about courage, unity, and never giving up. Hold your heads high. Learn from this experience, stay united, and return stronger.

“Nigeria remains proud of you and grateful for the joy and hope you gave us during this competition. Well done, Super Eagles.
The nation stands with you, always,” the statement read in part.

Bounou saved from Samuel Chukwueze and brilliantly from Bruno Onyemaechi, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to convert the winning kick and spark wild celebrations inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Morocco will now play Senegal on Sunday after the Lions of Teranga defeated Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 1-0 in the other semi-final earlier thanks to a Sadio Mane goal.