3 Kenyan referees picked to officiate in AFCON

Three Kenyan referees have been chosen to officiate in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), hosted by Ivory Coast.

The leading referees is Peter Waweru Kamaku, a seasoned official who has been a FIFA referee since 2017.

Referee Waweru in AFCON

He holds a Ph.D. in pure mathematics and has officiated in various FIFA tournaments, including AFCON U20 in 2019, AFCON 2019 in Egypt, and the 2019 U17 World Cup in Brazil.

Joining Waweru are assistant referees Gilbert Cheruiyot and Stephen Yiembe. Cheruiyot, who hails from Baringo, has officiated in numerous CAF tournaments, including the CHAN 2021 final.

Yiembe, known for officiating in the AFCON 2023 under-23 final, completes the trio.

These three Kenyan referees will be among the 68 officials selected for AFCON 2023, a prestigious football event held for the second time in Ivory Coast.

Originally scheduled to be the third edition since 2019 held during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) underwent a schedule adjustment.

AFCON Dates

CAF decided to postpone the tournament from January 13 to February 11, 2024, citing concerns about adverse summer weather conditions in Ivory Coast.

The decision aimed to minimize scheduling conflicts with European club teams and competitions.

Despite the shift in timing, the tournament retained its original name for sponsorship continuity.

This move followed a similar adjustment for the 2021 edition in Cameroon, both aligning with the Northern Hemisphere’s winter season due to weather considerations.

Senegal enter the competition as the defending champions.