DZWatch Exclusive: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has once again stirred controversy with its refereeing appointments, assigning Gabon’s Pierre Ghislain Atcho to officiate the high-stakes match between Egypt and Senegal. This decision comes despite widespread criticism leveled against Atcho in recent times.
Atcho is a familiar name to Algerian football fans, albeit for the wrong reasons. He served as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the Algeria-Nigeria match, a game marred by a blatant handball inside the Nigerian penalty area that went unpunished. The VAR team, including Atcho, failed to alert the on-field referee, sparking outrage among Algerian supporters.
Despite the intense backlash following that incident, CAF has entrusted the Gabonese official with a role in the highly anticipated Egypt-Senegal encounter. This match is a significant fixture on the African football calendar, drawing considerable attention from fans and media across the continent.
The appointment has reignited the debate surrounding CAF’s referee selection criteria and the extent to which the continental body holds officials accountable for impactful errors, especially in crucial matches. Critics argue that assigning such high-profile games to referees with a history of questionable decisions risks exacerbating tensions at a time when African fans are demanding greater transparency and improvements to the continent’s refereeing system.
DZWatch will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. The controversy surrounding refereeing appointments underscores the urgent need for CAF to address concerns about impartiality and competence within its officiating ranks.
