Janny Sikazwe and Maguette N’diaye Still Officiating, Concerns Raised Over the Use of Controversial Referees

• There are concerns raised over the continued use of controversial referees by CAF despite younger referees being available
• Janny Sikazwe and Maguette N’diaye have both officiated CAF Champions League games despite recent controversies
• Retired referee Ace Ncobo believes that CAF prioritises more experienced referees over the younger ones

Does Africa have a shortage of capable match officials?

That is a question raised by many as CAF continues to make use of controversial referees like Maguette N'diaye and Janny Sikazwe, to handle high-profile games.

N'diaye is no stranger to South African football lovers. The Senegalese official was responsible for awarding Ghana a controversial penalty which saw them beat Bafana and earn a World Cup qualifier place. Despite the evidence provided by South Africa, FIFA did not find N'diaye guilty of any wrongdoing.

N’diaye made headlines again during AFCON 2021 for his handling of the Egypt and Morocco game, GiveMeSport reported. During the clash, N’diaye attempted to break up an altercation between the two sides but pushed Morocco’s Munir El Haddadi to the ground in the process.

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Despite the controversy that surrounds him, N’diaye still officiates big CAF games and will be in charge this coming weekend. N’diaye will officiate the CAF Champions League tie between Raja Casablanca and Al Ahly.

Janny Sikazwe is another referee who has had his moment of madness but still officiates big games. The Zambian referee officiated Mamelodi Sundowns’ game against Petro de Luanda this past weekend.

Sikazwe rose to prominence at AFCON when he blew the full time whistle in the 85th minute of a game between Tunisia and Mali.

He then allowed the game to continue before ending it once again before the 90-minute mark. CAF later explained that Sikazwe suffered a heatstroke and severe dehydration during the match, hence his decision to end the game earlier.

Both referees will also be representing Africa at the FIFA World Cup later this year.

Sowetan LIVE recently spoke to retired South African referee, Ace Ncobo, about the capability of referees on the continent. Ncobo believes that there are enough younger referees who are capable of handling the big games, but believes that CAF favours the more experienced referees

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"I believe that we do have strong, young referees on the continent who can handle big games but my informed guess is that the committee that appoints referees largely prefers experience above current competent younger guys,” Ncobo said.

Victor Gomes chosen to officiate at World Cup, controversial Senegalese and Gambian referees also make the cut

South Africa may not be competing at the FIFA World Cup this year but will be represented thanks to Victor Gomes. Gomes was announced as one of eight referees selected from the African continent who will officiate at the World Cup in November and December, Sports Brief reported.

Gomes shot to stardom this year as his performances in the AFCON final between Senegal and Egypt drew much praise. His particular interaction with Mohamed Salah, where he offered the Egyptian his cards, became a viral moment.

.The other referees are: Jean Jacques Ndala (RD Congo), Mustapha, Ghorbal (Algeria), Redouane Jiyed (Morocco), Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia), Balmak Tessema (Ethiopia), Victor Gomes (South Africa), Janny Sikazwe (Zambia), and Maguette N'diaye (Senegal).