The African Football Confederation’s Referees Committee has decided to exclude Egyptian referee Mohamed Maarouf from the Africa Cup of Nations tournament due to errors in the matches between Congo and Guinea.
A source within the CAF Referees Committee, speaking exclusively to The Watan Sport, stated, “The entire refereeing team of the Congo vs. Guinea match, led by Algerian Mustapha Ghorbal and including Egypt’s Mohamed Maarouf, has been officially excluded from the tournament.
The entire team has left Cote d’Ivoire formally.”
Maarouf’s Exclusion Due to Errors
Earlier, the CAF Referees Committee had excluded Mahmoud El Banna due to errors in the match between Ivory Coast and Senegal, specifically for failing to send off Sadio Mane after his violent tackle on an Ivorian player.
It is worth noting that the semi-final matches of the Africa Cup of Nations are scheduled to take place on Wednesday evening, with Nigeria facing South Africa and Ivory Coast taking on the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The exclusion of Maarouf underscores the importance of maintaining the highest standards of officiating in prestigious tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations.
Such decisions ensure fairness and uphold the integrity of the competition, emphasizing the need for referees to execute their duties with precision and accuracy.
