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Nigerian football was yesterday dealt another blow on the continental stage as none of the country’s referees was listed to official at next month’s TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN).
No fewer than 19 referees, 21 assistant referees and 12 video assistant referees representing 32 of CAF’s Member Associations, were released by CAF who also named three women match officials in the mix including referee Vincentia E. Amedone (Togo) and assistant referees Carine Atezambong Fomo (Cameroon) and Diane Chikotesha (Zambia).
“For this competition, we have combined experience with youth – we have a number of up-coming and promising referees,” CAF Head of Refereeing, Désiré Noumandiez Doué ,noted.“ CHAN is a global competition and a great platform for our match officials.
“As we start a new World Cup cycle, this gives us an opportunity to build. We have AFCON – both men and women in 2024 – and a number of competitions under this cycle. I’m particularly pleased to see more women joining the bigger group,” Doue added .
But a retired Nigerian shoppingmode FIFA Referee has given a raison d’être why no Nigerian referee was not considered by the continental soccer’s ruling body.
“I can’t really say categorically the reason why no Nigerian referee was listed for CHAN Algeria 2022 ,” the retired referee who has been an instructor for both Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and CAF on refereeing matters for many years , told Nation Sport on condition of anonymity.
“We had a referee ( Dr. Joseph Ogabor )in the pool who attended both the first and second CAF’s refereeing programmes (for the CHAN) but I can’t really explain why his name did not come out at the end of it all.”
He further dismissed erroneous claims in some quarters that lack of activities on the domestic league scene might have accounted for the rejection of Nigeria’s match officials across all levels, adding there must be strenuous efforts at exposing match officials to innovative technology as it concerns the game.
“ I don’t think we have to attribute inactivity in the NPFL as the reason behind rejection of Nigerian referees at this event,” he further said.“ But I know that there is so much technology involved in refereeing now, especially at CAF level so every referee must be VAR compliant. “
He added: “Since we are not operating VAR here (Nigeria), our referees stand in a position of disadvantage because going there at CAF level to start learning VAR at that point would be difficult for most African referees, that’s why the North Africans have almost taking over.”
“ From the list, there are Moroccans, Algerians, Egyptians amongst others; these ones are practicing VAR in their games and the referees are developing faster than ours so perhaps that’s one of the reasons but frankly I don’t know why Ogabor did not make the final list.”
The TotalEnergies CHAN will take place between 13 January and 4 February across four Algerian cities including Algiers, Constantine, Oran and Annaba.
SELECTED REFEREES FOR CHAN ALGERIA 2022
REFEREES FOR CHAN 2022
1 Loutfi Bekouassa (Algeria)
2 Milazare Patrice (Mauritius)
3 Alhadi Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
4 Kalilou Ibrahim Traore (Cote d’Ivoire)
5 Adel Elsaid Hussien M. (Egypt)
6 Abdelaziz Bouh (Mauritania)
7 Ibrahim Mutaz (Libya)
8 Hamza Hagi Abdi (Somalia)
9 Atcho Pierre Ghislain (Gabon)
10 Celso Armindo Alvacao (Mozambique)
11 Samuel Uwikunda (Rwanda)
12 Mahmood Ali M. Ismail (Sudan)
13 Nouha Bangoura (Senegal)
14 Melki Mehrez (Tunisia)
15 Dieudonne Mutuyimana (Rwanda)
16 Lopes Ivanildo Meirelles de S. (Angola)
17 Tom Abongile (South Africa)
18 Ngwa Blaise Yuven (Cameroon)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
1. Abbes Akram Zerhouni (Algeria)
2. Brahim El Hamlaoui Sid Ali (Algeria)
3. Clemence Kanduku (Malawi)
4. Eric Ayimavo Ulrich Ayamr (Benin)
5. Kwasi Brobbey (Ghana)
6. Hamedine Diba (Mauritania)
7.Ngoh Adou Hermann Desire (Cote d’Ivoire)
8. Sabry Karim (Morocco)
9. Modibo Samake (Mali)
10. Dos Reis Abelmiro Montenegro( Sao T. & P.)
11. Ditsoga Boris Marlaise (Gabon)
12. Menye Mpele Rodrigue (Cameroon)
13. Nkounkou Messie J. Oved (Congo)
14. Sanou Habib Judicael (Burkina Faso)
15. Djindo Louis Hougnandande( Benin)
16. Daouda Gueye (Senegal )
17. Hensley Petrousse (Seychelles)
18. Abdul Aziz Bollel Jawo (Gambia)
19. Emery Niyongabo (Burundi).
WOMAN REFEREE
1. Vincentia E. Amedome (Togo)
WOMEN ASSISTANT REFEREES
1. Atezambong Fomo Carine (Cameroon)
2. Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)
VAR REFEREES
1. Mahmoud Ashor (Egypt)
2. Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)
3. Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)
4.Samir Guezzaz (Morocco)
5.Daniel Laryea (Ghana)
6. Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
7. Issa Sy (Senegal)
8. Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Burundi)
9. Bamlak Tessema Weyesa( Ethiopia)
10. Peter Waweru Kamaku Kenya
11. Zakaria Brinsi Morocco
12. Mohammed Abdallah Ibrahim Sudan
This Post first appeared on www.thenationonline.net
