CAF Appoints Mustapha Ghorbal to Referee Ivory Coast vs Cameroon Clash at AFCON 2025

 CAF Appoints Mustapha Ghorbal to Officiate Ivory Coast vs Cameroon Clash at AFCON 2025

The Referees Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially appointed Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal to take charge of the highly anticipated showdown between Ivory Coast and Cameroon, scheduled for the second round of the AFCON 2025 group stage.

According to a statement released by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) on Saturday, Ghorbal—who was initially assigned as fourth official for the Senegal vs Congo match earlier today—will make his first on-field appearance in the tournament as the main referee for this continental heavyweight clash.

Match Details: Ivory Coast vs Cameroon

Competition: Africa Cup of Nations 2025

Group: Group F

Date: Sunday

Kick-off: 21:00 (local time)

Venue: Marrakech Stadium

Ivory Coast, the defending champions, will face a strong Cameroonian side in a match that could decide early qualification to the knockout stages. Both teams currently sit on three points each after winning their opening fixtures.

The Elephants of Ivory Coast secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Mozambique, while Cameroon recorded an identical 1-0 win against Gabon in the first round.

Cameroon’s Squad Situation

Cameroon are led by local coach David Bago, who aims to secure early qualification before tougher challenges ahead. The Indomitable Lions rely heavily on Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United) to spearhead the attack, especially in the absence of key players such as:

André Onana (goalkeeper)

Vincent Aboubakar

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Gabon’s Ambitions in AFCON 2025

Despite losing their opener, Gabon are targeting a strong overall tournament performance after missing AFCON 2023 and exiting in the Round of 16 in the 2021 edition held in Cameroon. The Panthers are led by experienced stars:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille)

Mario Lemina (Galatasaray)

Gabon hope to bounce back from recent disappointment following their elimination by Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers playoffs, aiming to restore pride with a solid AFCON 2025 campaign.