Houssam Benyahia and Sadou Ali Brahamou have been confirmed as the centre referees for the Group A fixtures of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with DR Congo facing Zambia and Angola taking on Kenya.
Benyahia will officiate the encounter between DR Congo and Zambia, scheduled for 13:00 GMT at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. The Tunisian official will be supported by a team of experienced assistants, including Adel Abane of Algeria and Burundi’s Emery Niyongabo as assistant referees. The fourth official for the match will be Loutfi Bekouassa from Algeria.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties for the DR Congo-Zambia match have been entrusted to Lahlou Benbraham, with Sudanese official Abdalaziz Yasir Ahmed Abdalaziz serving as the assistant VAR. The appointment of such a team underlines the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) determination to maintain officiating integrity and professionalism throughout the tournament.
Later in the day, attention will shift to the Moi International Sports Centre, where Angola will face hosts Kenya at 16:00 GMT. Cameroonian referee Sadou Ali Brahamou will take charge of the fixture, with Niger’s Abdoul Aziz Yacouba and Gambian assistant Abdul Aziz Bollel Jawo running the lines. Togolese official Aklesso Gnama will serve as the fourth referee.
VAR responsibilities for the Angola-Kenya game have been handed to Mauritania’s Dahane Beida, who will be assisted by South African referee Akhona Zennith Makalima.
These officiating appointments are part of CAF’s broader efforts to promote diversity, regional representation, and high standards in match supervision. By selecting referees from across the continent, CAF ensures that CHAN continues to reflect the pan-African spirit of the competition, while also building experience among match officials at the highest levels of the game.
The selected officials bring with them extensive experience and previous involvement in continental tournaments, qualities that CAF has prioritised to ensure consistent and credible officiating across all matches. With VAR playing a key role in match decisions, CAF has also placed a strong emphasis on deploying trained video officials capable of handling the pressure of high-stakes decisions.
Both matches on the second day of Group A are expected to be tightly contested, and the role of match officials will be under close scrutiny as teams battle for early control in the group stage.
Match Officials: DR Congo vs Zambia
- Referee: Houssam Benyahia
- Assistant Referee 1: Adel Abane
- Assistant Referee 2: Emery Niyongabo
- Fourth Official: Loutfi Bekouassa
- VAR: Lahlou Benbraham
- Assistant VAR: Abdalaziz Yasir Ahmed Abdalaziz
Match Officials: Angola vs Kenya
- Referee: Sadou Ali Brahamou
- Assistant Referee 1: Abdoul Aziz Yacouba
- Assistant Referee 2: Abdul Aziz Bollel Jawo
- Fourth Official: Aklesso Gnama
- VAR: Dahane Beida
- Assistant VAR: Akhona Zennith Makalima
As CHAN 2024 progresses, CAF will continue to rotate and assign top officials to ensure fair play, accuracy in decision-making, and the overall integrity of the tournament.
