Youngest Referee Abdou Abdel Mefire to Officiate High-Stakes Encounter.

AFCON 2025 Nigeria Mozambique referee

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed an all-Cameroonian trio for the on-field officials in the highly anticipated 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 matchup between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Mozambique’s Mambas.

At the center will be Abdou Abdel Mefire (also spelled Mefire), a 29-year-old rising star in African refereeing and the youngest head official at this tournament. He will be assisted by fellow Cameroonians Elvis Noupoue (Assistant Referee 1) and Carine Atezambong Fomo (Assistant Referee 2), a respected female official with experience in major CAF events.

Tunisian officials Haythem Guirat (VAR) and Khalil Hassani (AVAR) will handle video assistance, while Gabon’s Tanguy Patrice Mebiame serves as the fourth official.

The clash is set for Monday, January 5, 2026, at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fez, Morocco, with kick-off at 8:00 PM Nigerian time (7:00 PM GMT).

This marks the sixth overall meeting between the two nations, with Nigeria holding a dominant record: four wins and one draw. Their only previous AFCON encounter came in 2010, where the Super Eagles triumphed 3-0 thanks to goals from Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Peter Odemwingie.

Eric Chelle’s Nigeria topped Group C with a perfect nine points, while Mozambique made history by advancing to the knockouts for the first time, fueled by a landmark victory over Gabon.

This appointment highlights CAF’s trust in young and experienced Cameroonian officials for a pivotal knockout fixture.