CAF Ignores Nigeria, Select Referees From Mali, Burkina Faso, Sao Tome For AFCON 2023

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Latest Headlines, Sports News Tuesday, September 12th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Again, the Confederation of African Football, CAF, has ignored Nigerian referees for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and this is making it 15 years without the west African country producing a referee at the continental tournament.
According to the list released on Tuesday by the Confederation, referees from Mali, Burkina Faso, Sao Tome and Principe, Ghana, Egypt and other countries made the list. Niger Republic is also missing.

The African Examiner writes that the shortlisted referees who are 85 would attend a preparatory course as they prepare for the tournament that will take place early next year.

Included in the CAF list are centre referees, assistant referees, video assistant referees (VAR), technical instructors, physical trainers, VAR technicians and IT support.

Egypt and Algeria got the highest number with three each and four VAR referees were picked from Mauritius, South Africa, Morocco and Egypt.

CAF also selected seven technical instructors and physical trainers from Zimbabwe, Burundi, Côte D’Ivoire, Senegal, Morocco and Djibouti were also selected by CAF for the event.

The African Examiner writes that the Super Eagles of Nigeria will follow 23 other countries that will compete for the title at the 2023 AFCON finals.