EGYPT. Cairo: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed four women to officiate its Championship of African Nations (CHAN) competition finals.
The Championship of African Nations (CHAN) competition will be played in Cameroon starting from January 16.
The women selected include the Central Referee, Lydia Tafesse Abebe of Ethiopia and assistant Referee, Benardeta Kwimbira of Malawi, Carine Atezambong Fomo of Cameroon as well as Mimisen Lyorhe of Nigeria.
According to a statement from CAF, the selection of the final group was made on the basis of their physical and athletic skills and understanding of football including their ability to read the game. The appointment of the female referees confirms CAF’s decision to include women in men’s competition.
The four women are amongst a group of 47 Referees and assistant Referees including video assistant Referees from 31 countries. The competition will be first major competition on the African continent in the COVID-19 era.
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History of the tournament
The tournament was officially introduced in 2007 but commenced in 2009. It is a competition in which African national teams exclusively feature players who play their trade in domestic leagues of their home countries. It even excludes players who play in other leagues in Africa, outside their home countries. The main aim was to strengthen domestic leagues in Africa which were overshadowed by European leagues. The Democratic Republic of Congo became the first winners when they beat Ghana 2-0 in the final in final.
