Football: 34th TotalEnergies Confédération Africaine de Football Africa Cup of Nations |05 January 2024
Eddie Maillet, Bernard Camille, James Emile and Jason Damoo have all officiated at the Afcon (Photo: Seychelles NATION and contributed)
Caf snubs Seychellois officials
For the first time in 20 years no Seychelles football officials will be present at the 34th TotalEnergies Confédération Africaine de Football Africa Cup of Nations which will take place in Côte d'Ivoire from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
When the Confédération Africaine de Football (Caf) officially announced the list of match officials that will officiate at the upcoming tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, people involved with local football officiating were surprised to note the absence of Seychellois officials who had not missed out of the event since 2004 when Eddie Maillet made his debut in Tunis, Tunisia.
According to Caf, the officials chosen are “highly experienced match officials from across the continent who have officiated at a number of Caf international competitions”.
The list of 85 officials comprise centre referees, assistant referees, video assistant referees (VARs), technical instructors, physical trainers, VAR technicians, and IT support. The 26 referees, 30 assistant referees and 12 VAR referees will all follow a refresher course which will be inclusive of physical and theoretical testing. The course is supposed to start today.
Former centre referee Eddie Maillet has spoken against this noticeable omission of Seychellois officials, describing it as “surprising absence” and he didn't hold back in challenging his former employer – Caf.
“This is not right. Seychelles boasts some very good referees and assistant referees and they have been snubbed by Caf for the tournament in Côte d’Ivoire. James Emile is one of the best assistant referees on the continent right now and yet he has not been selected. He is good technically and is in top physical condition. I am sure if he takes the test today he will be among the best,” said Maillet, the former Caf refereeing manager.
Maillet made five appearances in a row at the Afcon. He officiated at the tournament for the first time in 2004 in Tunisia and was in charge of two group matches. In Egypt in 2006, he took charge of two group matches, refereed the quarterfinal encounter between defending champions Tunisia and Nigeria and was chosen as the fourth official for the final between hosts Egypt and Ivory Coast. In Accra, Ghana in 2008, he refereed three matches. He was named as centre referee for the opening game between hosts Ghana and Guinea and also took charge of the semifinal between Egypt and Ivory Coast. He was twice chosen as fourth official, and one of those matches was the final between Egypt and Cameroon. In 2010 in Angola, Maillet took charge of a group match and refereed the quarterfinal between Algeria and Ivory Coast. In the 2012 Afcon co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, he refereed two games and worked as the fourth official in three others including the final.
Born on October 16, 1967, Maillet was a full international referee for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) from 2001 to 2012.
Seychellois assistant referee James Emile made his debut in the TotalEnergies Confédération Africaine de Football Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2021 when he officiated the group B clash between Senegal and Guinea at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam, in Cameroon on Friday January 14, 2022. Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa was in charge of the match and the other assistant referee was Souru Phatsoane of Lesotho. Mario Escobar of Guatemala was the fourth official.
Emile made his international debut seven years ago.
As for centre referee Bernard Camille, he also made five appearances at the Afcon. He made his debut in 2013 in South Africa, followed by four more appearances in 2015 in Equatorial Guinea, 2017 in Gabon, 2019 in Egypt and 2022 in Cameroon.
Born October 6, 1975, Camille, 48, is a listed international referee for Fifa since 2011.
Assistant referee Jason Damoo has also officiated at the Afcon and that was in 2012 when it was co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. He officiated the inaugural match between co-hosts Equatorial Guinea and Libya.
Damoo, whose career as an official was cut short for health reasons, is now a match assessor with Caf and a Fifa referees’ instructor since four years now.
Speaking to Sports NATION, Damoo, who heads the referees’ committee on the Seychelles Football Federation’s (SFF) executive committee, said “it is unfortunate the chain has been broken”.
He added that the SFF is producing a number of quality referees and is hopeful they will join the elites on the continent in the forthcoming years.
Damoo explained that “Seychelles with a population of less than 100,000 people is fortunate to have been represented at the Afcon for the past 18 years, compared to Nigeria whose officials have missed the tournament for the 18th consecutive year since their last appearance at the 2006 competition”.
He added that Nigeria has a pool of 10,000 referees out of a population of 214 million people and boasts some of the best players on the continent.
“Even Tanzania, which has the fourth best league in Africa, will not be represented in Côte d’Ivoire,” explained Damoo before concluding that only 19 of the 54 countries which form Caf will be represented.
Gerard Govinden
