Arajiga leads Tanzania’s CHAN team

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled the list of 29 referees set to officiate at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with Tanzania proudly represented by centre referee Ahmed Arajiga, alongside assistant referees Komba John Frank and Ally Hamdani Said.

Arajiga’s inclusion headlines a modest refereeing presence from CHAN’s East African cohosts. Only seven referees— three from Tanzania and two from each country — Kenya and Uganda.

Each nation has provided one centre referee and one assistant referee. For Kenya and Uganda, the assistant referees complete their limited representation.

While the numbers may not be overwhelming, the selection of Arajiga to officiate at such a prestigious tournament is a nod to Tanzania’s growing credibility in African officiating circles.

His appointment puts him at the centre of a continental stage that blends football brilliance with tactical discipline.

Beyond the East African block, Algeria, Morocco and Burkina Faso are the only nations contributing two central referees each—a testament to the depth and quality of their refereeing development systems.

CAF has aimed to maintain THE National Football Team -Taifa Stars players, Pascal Msindo (left) and Shomari Kapombe train at Mercure grounds in Egypt yesterday as part of preparation for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament.

Geographical balance, with individual referees representing several other powerhouse nations including Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

When it comes to the technological side of officiating, Egypt takes the lead.

Three Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technicians from that country will support CHAN 2024, reinforcing the North African nation’s pivotal role in the tournament’s backend operations.

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Interestingly, despite this significant involvement, Egypt contributes just one central referee to the officiating list and one member each to the referees’ committee and instructors’ team.

Notably, East Africa has no representatives in this latter category. This officiating update comes as CAF wraps up a successful eight-day inspection tour of the venues that will host CHAN 2024.

The tournament, scheduled for 2 to 30 August 2025, will be staged across Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda—marking a Pan-East African celebration of football.

CAF’s top brass from departments such as Competitions, Marketing, Broadcast, Safety and Infrastructure spearheaded the venue inspections, joined by Local Organising Committee (LOC) members in each host country.

The inspection kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya on 3 July, with visits to Kasarani Stadium— confirmed as the venue for the final—and Nyayo International Stadium.

The delegation then toured Zanzibar’s Amaan Stadium and Dar es Salaam’s Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Tanzania, where the opening ceremony will be held.

The inspection ended on 9 July in Kampala, Uganda at Mandela International Stadium, which is set to host the thirdplace playoff.

CAF praised the inspection as a significant milestone in the CHAN 2024 build-up, thanking the governments and LOCs for their firm cooperation and high standards.

It also confirmed the full list of venues and host cities: Dar es Salaam (Group B), Nairobi (Group A), Kampala (Group C) and Zanzibar (Group D)