By Monica Iheakam
Nigeria referee, Samuel Pwadutakam, is among the 63 match officials listed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to take charge of proceedings when the African Cup of Nations kicks off in Cameroon in January 2022.
According to the release by CAF, Pwadutakam will join 31 assistant referees and 24 center referees from 36 countries to officiate at the tournament.
Pwadutakam is the only Nigerian referee shortlisted among the assistant referees by CAF for the biennial competition.
Federation of International Football Federation licensed Pwadutakam in 2019.
He assisted Adebimpe Quadri to officiate a 2022 FIFA World Cup preliminary qualifying match between Gambia and Angola in September 2019.
CAF Director of Refereeing, Eddy Maillet, said: “The match officials were selected based on their experience, skills and current form.
“In recent months, they have been subjected to several aptitude tests through preparation courses and real competitive matches. Only the best will officiate at this extraordinary event. The roster includes two referees from the CONCACAF as part of our inter-confederation skills exchange program.”
All the selected match officials will complete their final preparations in Cameroon the week before the opening game. They will be closely monitored before and during the competition by a team of technical specialists and instructors starting at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2019 and African Nations Championship 2020 (CHAN), with women referees officiating games.