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Meet the Referees for AFCON 2025: Full List + Nationalities
The countdown is on for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to be held in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. Recently, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) revealed the full roster of match officials - including referees, assistant referees, and VAR officials, who will oversee the tournament.
Below is the full list of the 28 central referees selected for AFCON 2025, along with their nationalities, and additional context on officiating at the tournament.
Overview: CAF Refereeing Decisions for AFCON 2025
- CAF selected 73 match officials for AFCON 2025, broken down as 28 referees, 31 assistant referees, and 14 VAR / video–match officials.
- The selected officials represent a broad cross-section of African nations, reflecting CAF’s commitment to fair officiating and continental representation.
- All officials are expected to gather in Morocco on 15 December 2025 for an intensive preparatory camp, including physical, technical and VAR-related training, ahead of the tournament.
Full List of AFCON 2025 Referees (Central)
Here is the complete list of the 28 central referees selected by CAF for AFCON 2025:
| # | Referee | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghorbal Mustapha | Algeria 🇩🇿 |
| 2 | Gamou Youcef | Algeria 🇩🇿 |
| 3 | Djindo Louis Houngnandande | Benin 🇧🇯 |
| 4 | Pacifique Ndabihawenimana | Burundi 🇧🇮 |
| 5 | Nfere Aboub Abdoul | Cameroon 🇨🇲 |
| 6 | Alhadji Allalou Mahamat | Chad 🇹🇩 |
| 7 | Messie Jessie Oved N. Moutouo | Congo 🇨🇬 |
| 8 | Clement Franklin Kpan | Ivory Coast 🇨🇮 |
| 9 | Ndala Ngambo Jean-Jacques | DR Congo 🇨🇩 |
| 10 | Mohamed Mansour Maarouf | Egypt 🇪🇬 |
| 11 | Amin Mohamed Omar | Egypt 🇪🇬 |
| 12 | Pierre Ghislain Atcho | Gabon 🇬🇦 |
| 13 | Patrice Tanguy Mebiame | Gabon 🇬🇦 |
| 14 | Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea | Ghana 🇬🇭 |
| 15 | Peter Waweru Kamaku | Kenya 🇰🇪 |
| 16 | Boubou Traoré | Mali 🇲🇱 |
| 17 | Abdel Aziz Bouh | Mauritania 🇲🇷 |
| 18 | Dahane Beida | Mauritania 🇲🇷 |
| 19 | Ahmed Imtehaz Herallal | Mauritius 🇲🇺 |
| 20 | Jalal Jayed | Morocco 🇲🇦 |
| 21 | Mustapha Kach Grafe | Morocco 🇲🇦 |
| 22 | Samuel Uwikunda | Rwanda 🇷🇼 |
| 23 | Issa Sy | Senegal 🇸🇳 |
| 24 | Omar Abdulkadir Artan | Somalia 🇸🇴 |
| 25 | Abongile Tom | South Africa 🇿🇦 |
| 26 | Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail | Sudan 🇸🇩 |
| 27 | Mehrez Melki | Tunisia 🇹🇳 |
| 28 | Shamira Nabadda | Uganda 🇺🇬 — the only female referee in the 2025 selection |
Notable Highlights & What It Means
- Continental diversity: The referee list spans North, West, East, Central, and Southern Africa, underscoring CAF’s push for widespread representation.
- Historic inclusion of a woman: Uganda’s Shamira Nabadda, aged 30, stands out as the only woman among the 28 central referees. Her inclusion marks a significant step for gender representation in African football officiating.
- Zero Nigerian officials: Despite being one of Africa’s football powerhouses, Nigeria has no referees, assistant referees, or VAR officials among the 73 selected, a notable absence that has stirred reactions across football circles.
- Morocco’s strong showing as host nation: With five Moroccan officials included (two referees, two assistants, one VAR), the host country is strongly represented in the officiating roster.
What This Means for AFCON 2025
With a carefully selected and widely representative group of referees, assistants, and VAR officials, CAF aims to ensure that AFCON 2025 is officiated to the highest possible standard. The inclusion of a female centre referee — and the broad continental representation — is a clear signal of CAF’s evolving approach to officiating diversity, fairness, and competence.
As the tournament draws near, all eyes will not only be on the teams and players — but also on the whistle-crew, who will play a vital role in shaping the integrity and fairness of what promises to be a fiercely contested AFCON.
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About the Author
Praise Graciebby is a content creator on Essie Book Blog, where she writes celebrity biographies, sports updates, gossip, and trending news. With a passion for entertainment and lifestyle journalism, Praise provides readers with simple, accurate, and up-to-date profiles of public figures worldwide.
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