The Confederation of African Football has appointed Libyan referee Abdulrazg Ahmed to officiate Monday evening’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations clash between Nigeria and Gambia at the Cairo International Stadium. Algerian Hamza Bouzit will serve as assistant referee 1, while Nigerien official Abdoul Moctar Saley and Moroccan Jalal Jayed will act as assistant referee 2 and fourth official, respectively. Boutane Said from Comoros will be the match commissioner, and Imade El Fahouss, also from Morocco, will serve as the general coordinator.
Ahmed previously acted as fourth official when the Flying Eagles defeated Uganda in Thursday’s quarter‑final at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium. Jayed was also on the officiating team when the seven‑time champions beat Mozambique 2‑0 at the same venue on Saturday, 25 February.
The Gambia dismantled South Sudan 5‑0 at the Harass El Hedood Stadium in Alexandria, securing one of Africa’s tickets to the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Indonesia. The Gambian side is one of only two teams to have won all their matches at the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which is currently being held in Egypt.
Nigeria’s coach Ladan Bosso, however, is unfazed by his opponents’ credentials and prefers to focus on his own squad’s strength. “Previous results will not determine what happens in our semi‑final match against The Gambia. They have been in great form and my boys have also recovered well and are in their element. It will be a great match but I believe in my team and we are confident of playing in the Final on Saturday,” he said.
So far, the Flying Eagles have played four matches, winning three and losing one, scoring four goals while conceding one. The Young Scorpions have scored nine goals and kept a clean sheet in all their games. The Gambian team has played exclusively at the Harass El Hedood Stadium in Alexandria, whereas the Nigerian side has experienced both the Cairo International Stadium and the Suez Canal Authority Stadium.
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