Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal has been appointed to officiate the opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana in Bouaké on 24 September.
The highly anticipated Group C encounter will take place at the Stade de la Paix at 7pm GMT, with Ghorbal set to lead an entirely Algerian officiating team for the clash between the Elephants and the Black Stars.
The appointment gives an experienced official responsibility for one of the headline fixtures of the opening round of the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign.
Ghorbal will be joined by fellow Algerians Abbes Zerhouni and Gourani Mokrane, who will serve as assistant referees, while Loutfi Bekouassa has been appointed as the fourth official.
The quartet will oversee the meeting between two of West Africa’s leading national teams as they begin their campaign to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Ghorbal, the assignment will also bring him back to a country and a national team he knows well.
The Algerian has officiated matches involving Côte d’Ivoire on several occasions, with the Bouaké fixture set to be the sixth time he has taken charge of a game involving the Elephants.
The 41-year-old has been a FIFA international referee since 2014 and has built extensive experience in African football, including matches at the Africa Cup of Nations and in African club competitions.
His experience also includes the most recent World Cup in the United States, according to the information provided in the announcement.
Ghorbal will therefore arrive in Bouaké with considerable experience of officiating high-level matches on the continent.
The appointment comes ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested opening fixture between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
The Elephants will have home advantage at the Stade de la Paix, while the Black Stars will begin their qualifying campaign on the road.
The match is scheduled for Thursday, 24 September, with the official kick-off time set for 1900 GMT.
The appointment of Ghorbal and his fellow Algerians means the first meeting between the two sides in the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign will be handled by a fully Algerian officiating team.
Abbes Zerhouni and Gourani Mokrane will operate on the wings as assistants to Ghorbal, with Bekouassa completing the match officials as fourth official.
The fixture will mark the start of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana’s efforts to secure their places at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
