AFCON 2024 – Who is in charge when Nigeria face Ivory Coast?

Published on by Rotimi Akindele

Who are the referees for the Africa Cup of Nations final, and which referee will be in charge of the Nigeria vs Ivory Coast clash?

We'll provide you with the information you are looking for in this article.

Scheduled to kick off at 9pm Nigeria time, this highly anticipated match presents a rare occasion for Nigeria and Ivory Coast to fight for glory and bragging rights once again.

Which referee is in charge of the Nigeria vs Ivory Coast clash?

CAF has designated Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida to officiate the Africa Cup of Nations final clash between Nigeria's Super Eagles and the Elephants of Ivory Coast on Sunday.

Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos of Angola and Diana Chikotesha of Zambia will serve as first assistant referee and second assistant referee, respectively.

Moroccan official Bouchra Karboubi is appointed as the fourth official, with Mahmoud Ashour from Egypt serving as the head of Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Ashour will be assisted by Rivet Maria Pakuita who comes from Mauritius.

Dahane Beida, referee for AFCON 2024 final
Photo by Icon Sport

Who's on the AFCON 2024 referees list and who's missing?

After the conclusion of the AFCON 2024 qualifiers, CAF handpicked 32 referees for the preparatory sessions leading up to the AFCON 2024 matches.

However, that list has now been shortened to 26 names:

  • Ghorbal Mustapha (Algeria)
  • Gamouh Youcef (Algeria)
  • Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin)
  • Ndabihawenimana Pacifique (Burundi)
  • Alhadji Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
  • Traoré Ibrahim Kalilou (Cote D'Ivoire)
  • Ndala Ngambo Jean-Jacques (DR Congo)
  • Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt)
  • Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt)
  • Mohamed Adel Elsaid Hussien (Egypt)
  • Weyesa Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)
  • Atcho Pierre Ghislain (Gabon)
  • Mebiame Patrice Tanguy (Gabon)
  • Kamaku Peter Waweru (Kenya)
  • Ibrahim Mutaz A. Ibrahim (Libya)
  • Traore Boubou (Mali)
  • Beida Dahane (Mauritania)
  • Bouh Abdel Aziz (Mauritania)
  • Guezzaz Samir (Morocco)
  • Jayed Jalal (Morocco)
  • Karboubi Bouchra (F) (Morocco)
  • Uwikunda Samuel (Rwanda)
  • Sy Issa (Senegal)
  • Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia)
  • Abongile Tom (South Africa)
  • Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)

In addition to this list, CAF also announced the names of 30 assistant referees and 12 video assistants (VAR) for AFCON 2024.

Among the six African referees who officiated at the 2022 World Cup, only one, Ghorbal, will be involved in the tournament.

Mustapha Ghorbal
Photo by Icon Sport

Regrettably, South African Victor Gomes, who officiated the last AFCON final, and Zambian Janny Sikazwe, have retired post-World Cup, ruling out their participation.

Notably absent from the list are Gambian Bakary Gassama, who faced criticism for his contentious officiating in the Algeria-Cameroon match in March 2022, Senegalese Maguette Ndiaye, and Rwandan Salima Mukansanga.

Their absence leaves a void in the list, along with other notable absentees like Botswana's Joshua Bondo, who has been on suspension since last April, and Moroccan Redouane Jayed.

Meanwhile, familiar faces include Bamlak Tessema Weyesa from Ethiopia and local Ivorian Kalilou Ibrahim, who are among the selected match officials for AFCON 2024.

Where are Nigerian referees at AFCON 2024?

From the initial announcement of match officials to be included for consideration for AFCON 2024, there was a surprising absence of Nigerian referees among the selected arbiters.

This sparked a reaction from Osasu Obayiuwana, a Nigerian journalist at the BBC, who didn't hold back in challenging the Nigeria Referees Association.

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Rotimi Akindele

Rotimi Akindele is a Sports Journalist with almost two decades' experience. He is a TV and radio host, commentator and writer who has covered major sporting events across the globe. Akindele's sports content has been listened to and read by a global audience. He is a well-known figure within Nigeria and the African football scene.