The 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations is expected to kick off in Ivory Coast from January 13, 2024, to February 11, 2024.As Africa, and indeed the entire world, gears up towards the continent’s biggest football bonanza, a final list of match officials to referee at the tournament has been released, with three Kenyans getting the nod.##NAJAVA_MECA_7753309##The trio made the initial list of 75 match officials drawn from across Africa who were selected in September to prepare for the showpiece.Leading the pack is veteran whistleblower Dr. Kamaku Peter Waweru, with assistant referees Gilbert Cheruiyot and Stephen Yiembe.41-year-old Waweru needs no introduction. He has been a referee in the FKF Premier League since 2013 and a FIFA-listed referee since 2017.As an academic and researcher, he is a professor of pure mathematics at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.He has officiated in various FIFA tournaments, such as AFCON U20 in 2019, AFCON 2019 in Egypt, the 2019 U17 World Cup in Brazil, and the 2021 CHAN, where he officiated the 2021 CHAN finals.Since 2017, Waweru has officiated several CAF Champions League games, Confederation Cup matches, and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.Odhiambo aiming for redemption in final league match of the yearHe was chosen as one of the referees for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Cameroon in 2022.Cheruiyot, 40, burst into the continental limelight in 2015 during the Africa U-17 played in Niger before being elevated to the U-20 championships two years later in Zambia.He officiated his first Chan Championship in 2016 in Rwanda and was selected for duty in the 2018 edition, which was played in Morocco.He officiated in the CAF U20 final in Zambia. He was also one of the officials who oversaw the CHAN 2021 final in Cameroon.Furthermore, he was involved in the 2022 AFCON semi-final, as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics third-place playoff.Cheruiyot, who hails from Baringo County, was part of the set of officials who manned the 2019 CAF Champions League quarterfinals match pitting Wydad Casablanca and Horoya.Yiembe, on the other hand, alongside Waweru, was privileged to officiate this year’s CAF U23 AFCON final between Morocco and defending champions Egypt.Joseph Okumu included in French League 1 team of the week
