CAF List of Referees for CHAN 2022: Why No Nigerian referees were Included

 

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