CAF names 70 match officials for CHAN 2024

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled the official list of referees, assistant referees, and Video Match Officials (VMOs) selected for the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.

The tournament, scheduled to run from August 2 to August 30, 2025, will be hosted across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

A total of 70 match officials have been appointed, comprising 26 referees, 26 assistant referees, and 18 VMOs. They come from over 30 CAF member associations, reflecting CAF’s ongoing efforts to elevate standards through a mix of seasoned veterans and emerging talents, with a clear emphasis on gender inclusion.

Among the officiating panel, notable inclusions are early-career and experienced women referees such as Bouchra Karboubi of Morocco and Shamirah Nabadda of Uganda. They’re joined by established assistant referees like Diana Chikotesha from Zambia and Atezambong Fomo Carine of Cameroon. The roster also features high-level Video Match Officials, including Egypt’s Mahmoud Ashour, Morocco’s Samir Guezzaz, and Algeria’s Ghorbal Mustapha, underpinning CAF's commitment to leveraging top technological support during the competition.

All officials are expected to arrive in the host countries ahead of the tournament for final preparations, including a comprehensive referees’ workshop. The training will involve both theoretical and practical components, focusing on CAF’s officiating protocols and technological tools such as Video Assistant Referee (VAR) systems.

The tournament will kick off on August 2, with matches set to be played in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Kampala. The competition will culminate in the final on August 30, promising intense football action and high officiating standards.

Referees:

• Adissa Abdoul Raphiou Ligali (Benin)
• Messie Jessie Oved Nvoulou (Congo)
• Kpan Clement Franklin (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Malala Kabanga Yannick (DR Congo)
• Ahmed Nagy Mosa Mahmoud (Egypt)
• Tsegay Teklu Mogos (Eritrea)
• Jammeh Lamin N. (Gambia)
• Nyagrowa Dickens Mimisa (Kenya)
• And many others from across Africa.

Assistant referees are drawn from countries including:

• DR Congo, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Rwanda, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Djibouti, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Eritrea, Tanzania, Congo, Algeria, Zambia, and more.

Video Match Officials (VMOs) include:

• Mahmoud Ashour (Egypt)
• Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
• Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
• Samir Guezzaz (Morocco)
• Hamza El Fariq (Morocco)
• Issa Sy (Senegal)
• Others from Gabon, Ghana, South Africa, Sudan, Eswatini, Mauritius, Kenya, Cameroon.