Local referees fail to make CHAN cut
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday February 13, 2020 09:59
On Tuesday, continental football governing body, CAF released a 42-man list that includes whistle men and assistant referees selected for the CHAN referee preparation course for the sixth edition of the continental competition. None of the local referees have been included in the list.
This comes as shock after there has been a significant participation of local referees in CAF games. The recent highlight has been Joshua Bondo's participation at the 2019 AFCON held in Egypt. Bondo was in charge of the round of 16 match between African powerhouses Nigeria and Cameroon, making him the first local referee to handle an AFCON finals game. While Tirelo Mositwane and Tshepo Gobagoba has been involved in the CAF junior tournaments and the club continental cups' games.
Bondo, in 2019 was part of the five COSAFA whistle men for the tournament, and the number has since reduced to just three for the Cameroon spectacle. Zambia's celebrated referee, Janny Sikwaze, Heeralall Ahmed Imetazz of Mauritius and Madagascar's Rakotojana Andofetra are the only three referees from the southern part who have made the cut.
The local referee's snub for the 2020 CHAN comes 'against the run of play' as Botswana has seen a recent increase in referees on the FIFA panel. This has seen the inclusion of a female referee, Itumeleng Methikga. She becomes the first local woman referee in over two years to make the cut. Assistant referees Lucky Kegakolotswe and Ookeditse Keitseope are also included in the list.
Moemedi Monakwane and Meshack Medupe have failed to make the cut after failing a fitness test.