The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has removed Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan from officiating the AFCON 2025 quarter-final between Nigeria and Algeria, DAILY POST reports.

CAF’s decision came after Artan was found wearing boots from a brand not approved by the tournament’s official sponsors during a previous match, a breach of CAF regulations. As a result, he will no longer oversee the highly anticipated clash.

Artan, who was named Referee of the Year at the 2025 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco, will be replaced for the last-eight showdown. CAF is expected to announce a new official shortly.

The quarter-final is scheduled to hold at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Saturday.