The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the appointment of Gabonese referee Pierre Atcho to officiate the upcoming match between Algeria and Sudan. Senegalese referee Issa Sy will oversee the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties. This selection has already sparked debate due to the referees’ past involvement in controversial decisions affecting the Algerian national team.
Both Atcho and Sy have prior experience with the ‘Desert Warriors.’ Issa Sy was the main referee during Algeria’s match against Angola in the opening round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations group stage, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Pierre Atcho served as the VAR official during that same game, a match marred by contentious calls.
Atcho also functioned as the VAR referee in Algeria’s second group stage match against Burkina Faso, which concluded in a 2-2 draw. Again, the match was plagued by questionable refereeing decisions, prompting the Algerian Football Federation to lodge an official complaint with CAF.
Despite this, Atcho was later appointed as the main referee for the Ivory Coast versus Senegal match in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. However, significant refereeing errors in that game led CAF to remove him from the rest of the tournament after complaints from both national teams. The complaints centered on the failure to consult VAR on key plays and a perceived lack of decisive disciplinary action during crucial moments.
Issa Sy’s record is not without its own controversies. Most recently, his performance in the CAF Champions League preliminary round match between Al Ahly of Egypt and Burundi’s Etoile Noire drew criticism. An early red card decision sparked widespread protests from the Egyptian club and raised concerns about his overall match management.
DZWatch will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available. We will also provide match analysis and commentary.
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