Nigeria’s Qassim Abdulsallam has been selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as one of the centre referees expected to officiate at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Abdulsallam was the only Nigerian referee listed in the 65-man roster of officials released by CAF on its website on Friday.
The eighth tournament in the series is scheduled to take place from 1 to 28 February in three countries: Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
This would be the first edition co-hosted by three countries.
According to the CAF official website statement, Abdulsallam will join 25 other centre referees officiating at the championship.
The list also has 25 assistant referees and 14 Video Assistant Referees (VAR) officials for the tournament.
Abdulsallam distinguished himself in the second leg of the CHAN qualifier between Niger and Cote d’Ivoire at the Bamako Stade, 26 Mars, on Saturday.
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No Nigerian referee was chosen for the AFCON tournament in Cote d’Ivoire last year. CAF’s refereeing instructor, Noumandiez Doue, said, “You have good referees in Nigeria, and to come to AFCON, you have to be the best.
“Good referees are for the zones. You have to be the best to come to the CAF competitions,” he reiterated.
Abdulsallam is a member of the Zamfara State Referees’ Council and was among the referees who attended the CHAN course preparation exercise in Cairo in late 2024.
He was also on the list of match officials invited for the WAFU U-20 qualifiers held earlier in Togo.
NAN
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