Thelma Osatohanmwen
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has designated Egyptian official Amin Mohamed Omar as the referee for the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
Scheduled for Wednesday at 5 pm Cote d’Ivoire time (6 pm Nigerian time), the match will take place at the Stade de la Paix.
Omar’s compatriots Mahmoud Kamel Abouelregal and Ahmed Hossam Ibrahim will serve as assistant referees 1 and 2, respectively, while Sudanese Mahmood Ali Ismail will be the fourth official.
Attia Essa Amsaaed from Libya will act as the reserve assistant referee, with Yacoub Ali Elmi from Djibouti serving as commissioner and Aboubacar Doumbouya from Guinea as the referee assessor.
This semi-final clash marks only the second meeting between Nigeria and South Africa at the AFCON semi-final stage.
Their previous encounter, during the 2000 finals in Lagos, ended in a 2-0 victory for Nigeria.
With both teams boasting strong pedigrees and a fierce rivalry, Wednesday’s match is anticipated to be explosive.
Despite South Africa’s historical struggles against Nigeria, the Bafana Bafana have shown resilience in recent encounters, making the fixture highly unpredictable.
The Super Eagles, ranked 42nd in the world by FIFA and 6th in Africa, will face the 66th-ranked Bafana Bafana, who sit 12th in Africa.
Both teams are determined to secure a spot in the tournament’s final and add to their AFCON legacy.
In their previous quarter-final meeting four years ago, the Super Eagles emerged victorious with a 2-1 win at the Cairo International Stadium.
Players like Samuel Chukwueze and William Ekong, who scored in that encounter, are also expected to feature prominently in Wednesday’s showdown.