South African Referee Replaced for AFCON Final in Last-Minute Change

Drama 24 hours before kick-off! The exceptional record of the South African referee, Victor Gomes, did not prevent the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from replacing him with Alioum Néant.

With four Champions League semi-finals and 226 matches to his name, not to mention the two matches he officiated during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Victor Gomes will not be the whistle-blower for the final of the competition between Senegal and Algeria. This task has been entrusted to his inexperienced colleague, Alioum Néant.

The Cameroonian air force officer has indeed participated in five AFCONs, a club competition semi-final and a Champions League final first leg in 2011. He also refereed the Egypt-Zimbabwe (1-0) and Morocco-Côte d’Ivoire (1-0) matches in the group stage.

Without providing details on the reasons for this last-minute change, CAF has rather deleted the tweet that designated the South African judge as the referee for this high-stakes match. This choice is already raising many questions.