Confederation of African Football (CAF) has selected Malawian Fifa assistant referee Clemence Kanduku to officiate at African Nations Championship (Chan) to be held from January 13 to February 4 in Algeria.
National Referee Association (NRA) general secretary Chris Kalichero confirmed in an interview that the Malawian made the cut after impressing during the preparatory course held in Egypt.
He applauded him for making it, saying he is not surprised because he underwent a preparatory course.
“We are very proud of him. It is a great honour not only to him but also the country.
It is not easy to be selected to officiate at continental competitions such as Chan finals.
“We have all the confidence in him that he will prove it why he has been selected. He is a professional and. He is a great natural assistant referee,” he said.
Kanduku, who also officiated at the Afcon Under-20 Games in Mauritania, said he was excited to have made it.
“I am really happy and grateful to God for this opportunity. There were many of us vying for this chance. I thank God for this opportunity. My colleagues and I attended the preparatory course which combined both laws of the game and VAR system application. That’s where the selection process took place. I promise to give my best.”
Kanduku has appealed to fellow referees in the country to believe in themselves.
“We should be proud of our careers and avoid elements of corruption. It’s possible to advance at the highest level in our career and officiate in major global tournaments,” he said.
Kanduku said this would give him a platform to officiate at Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as retired assistant referee Moffat Champiti remains the last Malawian to officiate at Afcon.
Former Ministry of Education director of education Bestor Kalombo broke the jinx for the country when he officiated at Afcon as well as Olympic Games during his career.
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