Zimbabwean referees Chimene, Nyika to officiate at Cosafa Cup

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter

TWO Zimbabwean football match officials, Brighton Chimene as well as Brighton Nyika will officiate at the 20^th edition of the Cosafa Cup to be held in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa from 6-18 July.

Referee Chimene and assistant referee Nyika were on Tuesday announced as part of the match officials for this year’s Cosafa Cup.

The list released by Cosafa shows female representation on the panel as South African referee Akhona Makalima prepares to take charge of matches, along with assistants Diana Chikotesha (Zambia) and Paulina Joel (Namibia).

Makalima has officiated at the Cosafa Under-20 Championships and the Caf Under-20 Cup of Nations and is among the leading female referees on the continent.

A number of Cosafa match officials will be at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and so were ruled out of appearing at the Cosafa Cup, which has been a fertile breeding ground for some of the leading referees and assistants on the continent.

The likes of South African Victor Gomes, Janny Sikazwe from Zambia, Joshua Bondo of Botswana and Helder Carvalho from Angola all perfected their officiating in Cosafa junior and senior competitions.

Cosafa Cup referees

Abongile Tom (South Africa)

Akhona Makalima (South Africa)

Antonio Dungula (Angola)

Artur Adriano Vaz Joao Alfinar (Mozambique)

Athoumani Mohamed (Comoros)

Audrick Nkole (Zambia)

Brighton Chimene (Zimbabwe)

Eldrick Adelaide (Seychelles)

Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar)

Keabetswe Dintwa (Botswana)

Osiase Koto (Lesotho)

Sabelo Sibandze (Eswatini)

Cosafa Cup assistant referees

Brighton Nyika (Zimbabwe)

Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)

Elphas Sitole (South Africa

Ivanildo Meirelles De Sanches Lopes (Angola)

Lucky Kegakologetswe (Botswana)

Paulina Joel (Namibia)

Petros Mzikayifani Mbingo (Eswatini)

Singeve Sem (Namibia)

Siza Dlangamandla (Lesotho)

Venestancio Cossa (Mozambique)

Joseph Nyauti (Malawi)

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