The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the full roster of referees chosen to officiate at the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with Algeria, Morocco, and Burkina Faso emerging as the standout nations thanks to their strong representation among the central officials.
Set to be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from 2 to 30 August 2025, CHAN 2025 is reserved exclusively for players competing in domestic leagues across the continent.
As anticipation builds for the tournament’s opening, CAF’s unveiling of the referee lineup highlights the strength of North and West African officiating, with Algeria and Morocco each contributing two central referees—a distinction few nations share.
Among Algeria’s representatives is Lotfi Bekouassa, a referee whose steady rise within African football has included appearances in multiple youth-level CAF competitions. He is joined by compatriot Houssem Benyahia, a familiar face in North African regional tournaments, who will also have the opportunity to make his mark at CHAN.
Morocco, too, will have a strong presence on the pitch. Kech Chaf Mustapha, a seasoned referee in CAF interclub competitions, will take on officiating duties, while Hamza El Fariq, who is also part of the FIFA Club World Cup as a VAR official, has been selected as a central referee for CHAN as well. Their inclusion underlines the continued development and international credibility of Moroccan refereeing.
Equally notable is the double inclusion of Burkina Faso’s Jean Ouattara and Vincent Kaboré. Their selection places Burkina Faso in elite company, as only three nations—Algeria, Morocco, and Burkina Faso—have had two main referees chosen for the tournament. It is a clear endorsement from CAF of the refereeing talent being nurtured within these countries.
Beyond these standout contributions, CAF has ensured broad continental representation in its selections. A total of 29 central referees will oversee matches at CHAN 2025, with officials drawn from across Africa.
This includes Abdou Abdel Mefire (Cameroon), Kpan Clément Franklin (Ivory Coast), Malala Kabanga Yannick (DR Congo), Diouf Adalbert (Senegal), and Ousmane Diakhaté (Mali). Referees from Zimbabwe, Niger, Madagascar, Gambia, and Libya also feature, reinforcing the inclusive spirit of the tournament and CAF’s commitment to giving officials from a wide array of countries the opportunity to gain vital experience.
Though CHAN is a competition for locally-based players, it also serves as a critical platform for match officials aiming to advance their careers.
For many of the referees selected, this championship represents a vital opportunity to prove their capabilities on an international stage and position themselves for even bigger assignments—particularly the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The African Nations Championship continues to evolve as both a showcase of domestic footballing talent and a proving ground for the continent’s referees. With less than ten weeks until kickoff, all eyes will now turn to how these chosen officials perform in one of Africa’s most significant football tournaments.
