REF CHIKOTESHA PICKED FOR TOTAL U-23 AFCON

ZAMBIA’S female referee Diana Chikotesha has made the final cut for match officials for the Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off next Friday in Egypt.

Chikotesha joins her Moroccan counterpart, Fathia Jermoumi as the three two female assistant referees at the tournament while Rwanda’s Salma Mukasanga will be among the referees.

Chikotesha will be among a legion of 13 assistant referees to officiate at the continental soccer showpiece which will end on November 22 and serves as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Announcing the inclusion, head of CAF refereeing, Eddy Maillet, described Chikotesha and her colleague as “skillful experts.”

“The U-23 AFCON it will be very competitive, so having Salma (Mukasanga), one of our top referees, who of late officiated at last summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, is a tremendous advantage for CAF.

“She will be supported at the U-23 AFCON by two equally skilled experts, Fathia (Jermouni) and Diana (Chikotesha),” Maillet said.

This is the second time that the CAF referees committee has appointed female match officials for a men’s tournament.

The appointments build on CAF’s commitment to include more female match officials in its competitions, which began with the appointment of three female match officials for the Total U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania last April, a first in the history of male CAF competitions.

The U-23 tournament will see hosts Egypt in Group A with Mali, Cameroon and Ghana. In Group B, title holders Nigeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Zambia will complete the pack.

The two venues for the U-23 AFCON are Cairo International Stadium and Al Salam Stadium. The teams to finish in the top three will qualify to represent Africa at next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.