The Confederation of African Football has announced it will stage a dedicated refereeing open day for accredited journalists during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, offering rare access to officials and insight into the mechanics behind major decisions.
Media representatives covering the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 have been invited to attend the session on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.
The initiative is designed to provide reporters with direct engagement with referees, assistant referees and video assistant referees, an area that routinely attracts scrutiny and debate throughout the tournament.
The open day will take place at the FUS Academy in Rabat, with activities scheduled to begin at 10:00 local time.
According to CAF, the event will create a platform for journalists to raise questions, observe preparations and gain a clearer understanding of how match officials are trained and how they interpret the laws of the game in high-pressure environments.
To facilitate attendance, CAF will operate a shuttle bus service from the Main Media Centre in Rabat.
Transport is set to depart at 09:30 and 09:45, with the return journey organised immediately after the conclusion of the programme.
As part of the schedule, media will be granted permission to film and photograph a referees’ training session ahead of the quarter-final stage of the competition.
This behind-the-scenes access is intended to shed light on the technical and physical preparation undertaken by officials, whose performances are increasingly placed under the spotlight with the use of VAR.
In addition, interview slots will be made available with senior CAF instructors and selected referees.
These conversations are expected to focus on how key decisions are reached, how VAR is integrated into the decision-making process and the challenges officials face in a fast-evolving tournament environment.
A number of leading figures from CAF’s refereeing structure have been confirmed as participants.
Among those available will be Olivier Safari Kabene, President of the CAF Referees Committee, and Mamadou Haidara, Acting Head of Arbitration at CAF.
They will be joined by Janny Sikazwe, a member of the Referees Committee and a CAF instructor, alongside several match officials representing different linguistic groups.
CAF has indicated that Mustapha Ghorbal will be available for interviews in Arabic, Elvis Noupue in French and Peter Waweru Kamaku in English.
Also taking part is Shamirah Nabadda, who was named CAF Women’s Referee of the Year 2025, offering an additional perspective on the development of officiating across the continent.
The governing body believes the initiative will improve transparency and foster a better relationship between referees and the media, at a time when decisions are dissected in real time across broadcast and digital platforms.
By opening up training sessions and encouraging dialogue, CAF hopes to demystify aspects of officiating that often fuel controversy and misunderstanding.
With the tournament entering its decisive phase, the open day is positioned as a constructive step towards building trust and understanding between match officials and those tasked with reporting on their performances.
