The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially appointed Dahane Beida as the center referee for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, set to take place in Abidjan on Sunday. The highly anticipated match will see hosts Cote d’Ivoire face off against Nigeria at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on February 11, 2024.
At just 32 years old, Beida is set to officiate his third match at this year’s AFCON. He previously oversaw the match between Egypt and Mozambique, which ended in a 2-2 draw during the group stage, as well as the Round of 16 clash where Angola secured a resounding 3-0 victory over Namibia.
Assisting Beida will be Emiliano Dos Santos from Angola and Diana Chicotesha from Zambia, with Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi serving as the fourth official. Additionally, Mahmoud Ashour from Egypt will take on the role of Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and Rivet Maria Pakuita from Mauritius will be the Assistant VAR.
Beida brings extensive refereeing experience to the final match, having officiated matches in prestigious competitions such as the U17 World Cup in New Zealand, as well as the second leg of the final of the CAF Confederation Cup 2022/23. He has also been involved in the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, and the African Football League, and played a significant role in last year’s African Nations Championship held in Algeria.
Both Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire will be fighting for the championship title, with Nigeria aiming for a fourth victory and Cote d’Ivoire hoping to secure their third championship win. The stage is set for an exciting and closely contested final showdown.
