As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) enters its decisive knockout phase, Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash with Mozambique gains extra intrigue following the appointment of an all-Cameroonian officiating crew by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
CAF confirmed that experienced referee Abdou Abdel Mefir will take charge of the encounter, with compatriots Elvis Noupoue and Carine Atezambong assisting from the touchlines. The selection reflects CAF’s commitment to neutrality and consistency at this critical stage of the tournament.
The Super Eagles and the Mambas will meet on Monday night at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Nigerian time, in what promises to be a closely contested battle for a quarter-final spot.
While Nigeria enter the fixture as favourites on paper, Mozambique has emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages, setting the stage for a potentially challenging outing for the three-time African champions.
Historically, both sides have met just once at the Africa Cup of Nations, during the 2010 edition in Angola, where Nigeria secured a convincing 3–0 victory. The Super Eagles will hope to draw confidence from that result as they aim to progress further in AFCON 2025.
With knockout football leaving no room for error, all eyes will be on Fès as Nigeria look to assert their pedigree while Mozambique seeks to rewrite the script.
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