The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Mauritanian referee Moussa Diou to officiate Ghana’s first-leg encounter against Libya in the second round of the TotalEnergies CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2027 qualifiers.

Diou will take charge of the encounter at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya, with the Black Meteors beginning their campaign to secure a place at the continental tournament, which will also serve as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Mauritanian official will be assisted by compatriots Hamedine Diba and Abderrahmane Anne, who have been appointed Assistant Referees I and II respectively. Abdel Kader M’Bareck will serve as the Fourth Official.

Algerian Djamel Ould Ammar has been appointed Match Commissioner, while Tunisia’s Said Mohamed Kordi will serve as Referee Assessor.

The first-leg encounter is slated for Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT (17:00 local time).

Diou is not unfamiliar with Ghanaian club football, having previously handled the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round first-leg fixture between Guinea’s Milo FC and Ghanaian side Dreams FC in Conakry on August 19, 2023.

Equatorial Guinea Official for Return Encounter

CAF has also appointed Gerson Adolfo Mico Esono Angono of Equatorial Guinea as the centre referee for the return encounter between Ghana and Libya at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.

Esono Angono will work alongside compatriots Juan Ngua Nguema Eleng and Jose Antonio Eko, who will serve as Assistant Referees I and II respectively.

Gilson Da Costa Lima Pereira of Sao Tome and Principe has been appointed Fourth Official, while Liberia’s Ivan Gartor Brown will serve as Match Commissioner.

Senegalese official Badara Diatta completes the appointment as Referee Assessor for the second-leg encounter, which is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 GMT.

Ghana will be hoping to make home advantage count in the return fixture as they seek to overcome the North Africans and advance to the final qualifying round.

Black Meteors Chase Third U-23 AFCON Appearance

The two-legged encounter represents Ghana’s second-round assignment in the race for a place at the 2027 U-23 AFCON, with the Black Meteors having received a bye into this stage of the competition.

Libya progressed after overcoming Togo 4-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round, drawing 1-1 away before securing a convincing 3-0 victory at home.

Ghana, under head coach Desmond Ofei, will be targeting qualification for their third appearance at the U-23 continental tournament, having previously featured in the 2019 and 2023 editions.

Their best performance came during their debut appearance in Egypt in 2019, when they reached the semi-finals but suffered a penalty shootout defeat to eventual champions Ivory Coast following a 2-2 draw.

The Black Meteors subsequently lost the third-place playoff to South Africa on penalties, finishing fourth and missing out on qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Ghana returned to the competition in 2023 in Morocco but failed to progress beyond the group stage.

Egypt 2027 Offers Route to Los Angeles

The 2027 U-23 AFCON, which will be hosted by Egypt, carries additional significance as it forms part of Africa’s qualification pathway to the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

CAF’s qualification format features 42 nations competing across three knockout rounds for seven available places alongside automatic qualifiers Egypt at the eight-team final tournament.

The second qualifying round is scheduled for November 9-17, 2026, while the decisive third round will take place between March 22 and 30, 2027.

The two finalists at the 2027 tournament will secure Africa’s available Olympic berths, making the continental competition a crucial target for participating nations.

Ghana have a proud Olympic football history, having become the first African nation to win a medal in the men’s competition when they claimed bronze at the Barcelona 1992 Games.

The Black Meteors also featured at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2004 Athens Games, where they last represented the country at the competition.

Twenty-two years after their last Olympic appearance, Ghana will be eager to end that prolonged absence under Ofei, whose immediate task is to guide the team past Libya and keep their qualification ambitions alive.