Ugandan referee Dick Okello will miss the January 2021
Africa Cup of Nations as it is reported, his religion does not
permit vaccination.

The absence of Okello is a huge setback for the country in
terms of referee appointments at the biggest stages.
Okello has aalready been replaced by Tanzanian Frank John
Komba on the list of assistant referees to officiate at the
tournament.

The 31 year old born again christian is alleged to have
shunned getting the Covid-19 as his faith does not permit such acts. As per the CAF and travel guidelines, individuals accessing the coveted showpiece have to be fully vaccinated and must have returned negative tests.

CAF is even more strict with the Match Officials and
individuals who access the playing ground whose vaccination against the deadly virus is a must.
Okello is a high profile match official who officiated at the
2021 CAF Champions League final between Al Ahly and Kaizer Chiefs.

He was appointed the second assistant referee with Burundian national Pacifique Ndabihawenimana the centre referee and Cameroonian Elvis Guy Nguegoue the first assistant. He was also named among the match officials for the 2021 CHAN finals in Cameroon only to miss out after returning a positive Covid-19 test.

The Lira born has also handled several continental games this year, including Zamalek against Esperance, El Merriek versus Al Ahly and MC Alger taking on Wydad Cadablanca.

Full list of referees
Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Helder Martins De Carvalho
(Angola), Joshua Bondo (Botswana), Pacifique
Ndabihawenimana (Burundi), Blaise Yuven Ngwa (Cameroon), Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo), Amin Mohamed Amin Omar (Egypt), Mahmoud El Bana Zakaria Moustafa (Egypt), Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia), Gassama Bakary Papa (Gambia), Daniel Nii Laryea (Ghana), Mario Escobar (Guatemala), Peter Waweru Kamaku (Kenya), Boubou Traore (Mali), Dahane Beida (Mauritania), Ahmad Imtehaz Heeralall (Mauritius), Jiyed Redouane (Morocco), Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda), Aguette Ndiaye (Senegal), Issa Sy (Senegal), Bernard Camille (Seychelles), Victor Miguel De Freitas Gomes (South Africa), Sadok Selmi (Tunisia), Janny Sikazwe (Zambia).

Full list of assistant referee
Etchiali Abdelhak (Algeria), Mokrane Gourari (Algeria), Jerson
Emiliano Dos Santos (Angola), Seydou Tiama (Burkina Faso),
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguengoue (Cameroon), Atezambong Fomo
Carine (Cameroon), Soulaiman Almaldine (Comoros), Liban
Abdourazak Ahmed (Djibouti), Oliver Safari Kabene (DR
Congo), Mahmoud Ahmed Kamel Abouelregal (Egypt), Hossam
Ahmed Taha Ibrahim (Egypt), Sidibe Sidiki (Guinea), Gilbert
Cheriyot (Kenya), Souru Phatsoane (Lesotho), Attia M. Essa
Amsaaed (Libya), Lionel Hasinjaosoa Andriananteain
(Madagascar), Azgaou Lahcen (Morocco), Akerkad Mustapha
(Morocco), Jermoumi Fatiha (Morocco), Zakaria Brinsi
(Morocco), Arsenio Maringula (Mozambique), Mahamadou
Yahaya (Niger), Samuel Pwadutakam (Nigeria), El Hadji Malick
Samba (Senegal), Djibril Camara (Senegal), James Fredrick
Emile (Seychelles), Zakhele Thusi Granville Siwela (South
Africa), Ibrahim Abdalla Mohammed (Sudan), Issa
YayaChadHassani Khalil (Tunisia), Frank John Komba
(Tanzania)

VAR referees
Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria), Abid Charef Mehdi (Algeria),
Mahmoud Mohamed Ashour (Egypt), Fernando Guerrero
(Mexico), Adil Zourak (Morocco), Bouchra Karboubi
(Morocco), Samir Guezzaz (Morocco), Haythem Guirat
(Tunisia)

AFCON groups
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
Grop E: Algeria, Sierra-Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire
Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia.



Source: football256.com/51134-2/

religion or not, dts how it should be done...I like his stand, its high time we stop taking these Europeans like gods by doing their bidding..
covid came, the fear for d virus spreads faster than d virus itself n Africans became immune to it, dey came up with d vaccine n forcing it down to us, we refused n now we are hearing omicron..
w all know dt if the table is turned, assuming dey are immune to covid, Africa can force them to get vaccinated before they visit us even if dey discovered d vaccine..
let's wwke up..

One of the best Ref in Africa continent.


Best wishes �

Non of our referees will be officiating a match in this AFCON.... Just one assistant referee from Nigeria

Smh...

No Nigerian Ref as usual.

No one should be forced to take that vaccine especially in Africa.
But why no Naija ref. Abi this our corruption don spread reach our football refs.

Jack005:
No Nigerian Ref as usual.

The matter tire me...

Kez11:


The matter tire me...

As expected bro .Abi e shock you?

Jack005:
No Nigerian Ref as usual.

Buhari have reduced Nigeria to -zero. All the things he met on ground when he took over have either been destroyed or turned upside down. The only thing working very well is his pilot and his plane to junket around the world.

Nobody respects Nigeria again in the world.

Kez11:
Non of our referees will be officiating a match in this AFCON.... Just one assistant referee from Nigeria

Smh...

Nigerian referees aint ready....I lost hope wen I saw an NPFL game years back....d reff was doing everything to end dt game in a draw bcox d away was winning 0-1...he gave questionable fouls n free kicks near d box bt none was working.
90 mins gone n still no goal, he added 10 mins extra time saying the away team wasted too much time in faking injuries..
corner kick was sent in, all man jump to compete n he blew penalty dt he saw handball dt nobody saw..
na so e gv p.k for home tewm to score n draw d game....i fit swear say dt man use e salary stake dt game straight draw

paulolee:

Nigerian referees aint ready....I lost hope wen I saw an NPFL game years back....d reff was doing everything to end dt game in a draw bcox d away was winning 0-1...he gave questionable fouls n free kicks near d box bt none was working.
90 mins gone n still no goal, he added 10 mins extra time saying the away team wasted too much time in faking injuries..
corner kick was sent in, all man jump to compete n he blew penalty dt he saw handball dt nobody saw..
na so e gv p.k for home tewm to score n draw d game....i fit swear say dt man use e salary stake dt game straight draw

I don't think the referee staked on that match... The home team might have paid him to secure the match for them.

I have also seen an NPFL match that the referee added 15mins just to make sure the home team win the match. Even the 15mins ended and he still allowed the match to continue.... The game ended 0-0

Every Nigeria referee supposed to be ashamed that they aren’t enrolled in continental tournaments.

Kez11:



I don't think the referee staked on that match... The home team might have paid him to secure the match for them.

I have also seen an NPFL match that the referee added 15mins just to make sure the home team win the match. Even the 15mins ended and he still allowed the match to continue.... The game ended 0-0

Nigerian ref rubbish too much....e go take long before caf or fifa reason dm