Somali Referee Loses Ksh154,000 After Costly Blunder at AFCON 2025

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was left to rue a costly error that proved expensive during the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco. Despite being among the match officials benefiting financially from the tournament, one mistake saw him miss out on officiating a major fixture and the earnings that come with it.

At the AFCON 2025 tournament, referees are handsomely compensated for their services, especially when assigned to high-profile knockout matches. Artan was initially appointed to take charge of Nigeria’s quarter-final clash against Algeria, a fixture considered one of the most high-stakes games of the round. However, just a day before kickoff, he was dropped from the assignment following a disciplinary issue.

Artan is widely regarded as one of the best referees on the continent. His reputation was further cemented late last year when he was named African Referee of the Year at the CAF Awards. That recognition made his sudden removal from such a crucial match all the more surprising.

Which Mistake Led to Artan’s Removal?

Tournament organisers, the Confederation of African Football, reportedly decided to withdraw Artan from the match after he was seen wearing boots from a brand that was not approved by the competition’s official sponsors during an earlier game. According to reports, this was deemed a violation of tournament regulations, prompting CAF to take disciplinary action.

As a result, Artan was replaced by Senegalese referee Issa Sy for the Nigeria versus Algeria encounter. Nigeria went on to claim a comfortable two-nil victory over the Desert Foxes, securing a semi-final showdown with hosts Morocco.

Ironically, Artan may have avoided an even more difficult situation. The match officiated by Sy turned tense, with Algerian players and members of the technical bench protesting several decisions after the final whistle. Among their complaints was an alleged penalty that they felt had been unfairly denied.

Somali Referee Missed Out on a Tidy Sum

Following the heated exchanges, Sy and his officiating team, which included Kenyan referee Peter Waweru Kamaku as the fourth official, had to be escorted off the pitch and into the dressing room for their safety.

For Artan, however, the biggest loss was financial. Referees at AFCON are believed to earn around twelve hundred dollars per match, an amount equivalent to roughly Ksh154,000. By being removed from the quarter-final, he missed out on that payment.

It remains unclear whether the highly rated Somali official will return to officiating duties later in the tournament after serving what appears to be a one-match suspension.