By Victor Kanayo
Again, Nigerian referees are nowhere to be found in the continental soccer event as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released names of match officials for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled for Algeria in 2023.
The latest development is a big blow on Africa’s most populous nation whose team couldn’t even qualify for the competition meant for players plying their trade their countries of origin.
Up to 19 referees, 21 assistant referees and 12 video assistant referees representing 32 of CAF’s Member Associations, were released by CAF which 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 said.
“CHAN is a global competition and a great platform for our match officials,” he added.
Nigerian referees were also nowhere close to the just concluded World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament will take place between January 13 and February 4 across four Algerian cities including Algiers, Constantine, Oran and Annaba.
The surprise package of 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco, may have decided to stay off the next edition of CHAN.
This is after Royal Moroccan Football Federation has unanimously agreed that they will not participate in the competition, if there is no possibility of a chartered flight from Rabat to Constantine.
The statement only comes to add to the many uncertainties surrounding the competition.
It was the Uganda Cranes who started all the gimmicks when FUFA President Magogo threatened to pull out due to financial constraints. That, was however, handled by the Ugandan Goverment.
Team Cameroon equally had some twitches due to its strained relationship with Algeria and fear of insecurities, but the Cameroon Football Federation looks well and truely ready for the competition.
Now CHAN defending Champions, and unarguably the most successfully team of the competition, Morocco are flexing muscles with the host.
And if their grievances are not sorted out, it will be a huge problem for CAF who will not have their defending champions on board.
Morocco defeated Mali in the 2020 final, becoming the first nation to win back-to-back titles after their 2018 victory against Nigeria.
Fresh from a successful World Cup campaign with the senior team, Morocco is set to dominate at the local scene once more.
They are placed in group C of the Championship alongside Sudan, Madagascar and Ghana.
