The list includes 19 referees, 21 assistant referees and 12 video assistant referees for the tournament whose opening match is only two weeks away in Algeria.
The TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (“CHAN”), was initially scheduled for 2022, but following a postponement, it will take place from 13th January to 4th February 2023 in Algeria, and four cities will be used: Algiers, Constantine, Oran, and Annaba.
Three female match officials including Togolese national Vincentia Enyonam Amedome (referee), Cameroon’s Carine Atezambong Fomo (assistant referee) and Diane Chikotesha from Zambia (assistant referee) have been named for the tournament as CAF pedals towards promoting women officiating the sport.
“For this competition, we have combined experience with youth – we have a number of up-coming and promising referees. 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,” said CAF’s Head of Refeering, Désiré Noumandiez Doué.
The championship will be opened up with a North African derby between hosts Algeria and 2014 tournament winners Libya on the 13th of January at the majestic Stade de Baraki in the Algerian capital Algiers.
Algerian Loutfi Bekouassa tops the center referees’ list that also has Samuel Uwikunda from Rwanda, Sudan’s Mahmood Ali Ismail and Congolese national Nkounkou Messie Over.
Samuel Uwikunda was at the center of the Africa Cup of Nations Qualification clash in June this year, between Zambia and Comoros that ended 2-1 with six yellow card bookings awarded.
Dieudonne Mutuyimana another Rwandan, was named among the assistant referees as other East Africans Pacifique Ndabihawenimana from Burundi and Kenya’s Peter Waweru were listed among the Video Assistant Referees.
Waweru has officiated several CAF Champions League games, Confederation Cup matches, and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches since attaining his FIFA badge in 2017, and he also officiated at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
