By Victor Kanayo
Africa’s football body, CAF, has again pencilled referees from faraway north Africa to officiate a Confederation Cup match involving Nigeria and Libya’s El Nasr Benghazi.
While Nigeria is of West Africa region, Libya is country located within north Africa.
The appointment of four North African referees to officiate the game scheduled for Wednesday November 2 at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Rivers State, South South Nigeria was revealed on Thursday October 27, 2022.
It is the CAF Confederation’s Cup playoff round first leg encounter between the two clubs.
The centre referee according to the official appointment is Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour.
The other three to assist the 35-year-old umpire are Mohamed Abouzid Halhal (Assistant I), Ahmed Hossam Eldin (Assistant II) and Mohamed Adel Elsaid Hussien (Fourth referee).
All the four officiating referees are from Egypt.
Prince Kai Saquee from Sierra Leone will serve as Match Commissioner, Mendy John John Frank from Gambia as Referee assessor while Ozi Salami Abdulrahim works as COVID-19 Officer.
The tie is the first at club level between Rivers United and El Nasr Benghaz, and it is expected to kick off 2pm (Nigerian time).
Both Rivers United and Plateau United played in the CAF Champions League but failed to progress in the competition after facing two North African sides in matches officiated by referees from same northern region.
After failing to move on, both Nigeria clubs dropped to CAF Confederation Cup level.
