CAF’s 2016 Referee of the Year, Papa Bakary Gassama will officiate the second semi final at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations between Ghana and Cameroon on Thursday.

The 38-year-old Gambian referee has held the best referee title for the last three consecutive years and will be in Franceville having not been a stranger to Ghana games.

He was in charge of the Black Stars’ 1-0 loss to Egypt in their final Group D game in Port Gentil. He was also in charge of the 2015 AFCON final that saw Avram Grant’s men lose the trophy to the Ivory Coast after a dramatic shootout.

Gassama became a FIFA referee in 2007,  and has over the last eight years proved to be one of the foremost referees in world football. After refereeing in the 2012 Olympics in London, where he was the fourth official in the Gold Cup Match between eventual winners Mexico and Brazil, the Gambian officiated the Netherlands-Chile clash at the group phase of the 2014 World Cup.

He also refereed the 2014 CAF the second leg of the Champions League final as well as games in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations. Gassama has now participated in his fourth consecutive African Cup of Nations finals in 2015.