Rabat—The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has canceled its elite referees training camp scheduled to take place in Cairo from March 3 to 8, after travel disruptions prevented several officials from reaching Egypt.
The camp had been organized as part of preparations for the knockout stages of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, with 72 referees, including central referees, assistant referees, and VAR officials invited to participate.
However, CAF decided to cancel the event after several referees from West and Southern Africa were unable to travel because of the current situation in the Middle East, which disrupted air routes, transit flights and visa obtentions.
Many of the officials were expected to fly to Cairo via connecting routes through Gulf countries, but flight rerouting and booking cancellations made their arrival uncertain.
The canceled camp was to prepare match officials for the decisive stages of Africa’s two main club tournaments. Training sessions typically focus on officiating standards, VAR usage, and match management ahead of high-stakes fixtures.
Despite the cancellation, the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the Confederation Cup are still planned to start in mid-March as previously scheduled.
🚨 Breaking:
CAF has cancelled the Interclubs Quarter-Finals Preparation Course in Cairo, originally set for 4–8 March 2026.
Reason: visa delays and flight ticket issues.#AfricanFootball #CAFCLwithMicky pic.twitter.com/kML4ml2XeD
— Micky Jnr (@MickyJnr__) March 2, 2026
Moroccan referees among selected officials
The original list of referees included several Moroccan officials:
- Jalal Jayed (referee)
- Hamza El Fariq (referee)
- Zakaria Brinsi (assistant referee)
- Mostafa Akarkad (assistant referee)
- Lahcen Azgaw (assistant referee)
CAF regularly organizes elite refereeing camps as part of its effort to maintain officiating standards across African competitions. The organization oversees football competitions for 54 member associations across the continent and runs tournaments such as the Champions League and AFCON.
The cancellation is a setback in preparations but CAF will continue with the scheduled club competitions, with match officials preparing individually.
Read also: CAF Removes Head of Judicial Body Amid Disciplinary Controversy
