Football: 25th African Nations Cup-Referee Maillet leaves Sunday January 15 for Egypt |14 January 2006

The country’s most-travelled referee leaves Sunday for the North Africa country for his second appearance in the African Nations Cup after his debut in Tunisia in 2004, taking charge of two group matches.

Of the 30 African referees who attended an Elite Referees’ seminar from November 23 to 29, 2005 in Cairo, 16 including Maillet were chosen for the biggest African football rendez-vous.

Voted Seychelles’ best football referee for the past five consecutive years, Maillet, 37, told Sports Nation upon being chosen for the African Nations Cup by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) that “I’m proud to have been given the opportunity to officiate in the African Nations Cup which in my opinion is going to be highly contested.”

“Highly successful African football nations like Cameroon and Nigeria, who failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Germany, will be all out to beat underdogs like Togo and Angola who pipped them to the finish line to represent Africa in the biggest football show on earth,” he added.

Having matured over the years after making his international debut in 2001 during the African Under-17 Championship Seychelles hosted, Maillet also revealed to Sports Nation that he wants to take charge of more than two matches this time.

“In 2004, I got an insight of what the African Nations Cup is all about. I’ve gathered a lot of experience along the way and I feel that I’m a much better official.  I’m thus looking forward to take charge of a quarterfinal match or even a semifinal encounter,” said Maillet who is currently ranked 10th in Africa.

It must be noted that Maillet has refereed matches in the African Champions League, World Cup qualifiers, the UEFA Under-16 competition in 2001, the Meridian Cup, the African Under-17 championship and the Under-17 World Cup in Finland.

G. G.