Algerian referee Lotfi Bekouassa will officiate the opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024, featuring Tanzania against Burkina Faso on Saturday, August 2. The match will be held at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, starting at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT).
This tournament marks the eighth edition of CHAN, which focuses on domestic-based national players, and it is the first time it’s being hosted by three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Bekouassa, 38, has over ten years of refereeing experience and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2016. He is also a teacher. Known for his calmness and good game management, he will be assisted by Adel Abane from Algeria and Wael Hannachi from Tunisia, with Houssam Benyahia as the Fourth Official.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be Lahlou Benbraham from Algeria, with assistant Akhona Makalima from South Africa.
This opening match is highly anticipated, with Tanzania looking to impress at home and Burkina Faso aiming to make a strong start. The CHAN tournament features 19 teams from across Africa and is exclusive to players from local leagues. For Bekouassa, this match is a chance to further establish himself as one of Africa’s top referees.
