The two referees have past experience in officiating in continental tournaments
Peter Wawery Kamaku was voted the best referee in the Kenyan top flight recently
He will be in the VAR booth while his counterpart Gilbert Cheruiyot will serve as an assistant referee

Two Kenyan referees have been selected by the Confederations of African Football [CAF] to officiate at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

Peter Waweru Kamaku and Gilbert Cheruiyot will represent Kenya in the tournament in Cameroon and will be among some of the best officials in the game from Africa.

The two were the only Kenyans among 64 match officials included in the official list released by CAF.

Waweru will be in the VAR booth as the technology makes its debut in the AFCON, while Gilbert Cheruiyot will serve as the Assistant referee.

The pair’s selection is fully merited as this is not the first major tournament they have featured in as match officials.

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In February 2021, the pair officiated in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final game involving Morocco and Malli.

Cheruiyot was also selected to officiate in the men’s football tournament at the Tokyo Olympics.

Waweru, who holds a unique stat of being the first Kenyan to officiate in the AFCON, was named the best referee in the 2020/2021 Football Kenya federation Premier League season.

All systems go in AFCON

After a long wait, the Africa cup of Nations is finally ready to kick off on January 9 and end on February 6.

Kenya will not feature in next year’s spectacle as the Harambee Stars failed to make it past the qualifiers in what was a disastrous season characterized by mismanagement issues off the pitch.

The 33rd edition of the tournament will see defending champions Algeria attempt to do it again, albeit via a tough group that comprises the likes of Ghana, Gabon and Comoros.

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Here are all the groups in the 24-team tournament:

Group A: Burkino Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ethiopia

Group B: Guinea, Malawi, Senegal, Zimbabwe

Group C: Comoros, Gabon, Ghana, Morocco

Group D: Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Sudan

Group E: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone

Group F: Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Tunisia

Premier league to miss African stars during AFCON

Meanwhile, there are several Premier League clubs that are set to endure a huge adjustment as their key stars will depart for the Africa Cup of nations.

Liverpool will arguably be the most affected as Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane, the team’s most potent attackers will be absent for up to a month for the tournament.

You can follow the comprehensive list of the stars who will be absent for every Premier League team here.

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