Ivorian referee to handle CHAN final

Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire, March 8, GNA - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Cote D'Ivoire referee Doue Nomandiez Desire to handle the finals of Sunday's African Nations Championship (CHAN) between Ghana and DR Congo. Desire who turns 39 on September 29, will be assisted on the lines by Peter Edibe from Nigeria and Tunisian Saadallah Chokri for the game billed for the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.

Experienced Togo referee Djaoupe Kokou will serve as the fourth referee, with the Match Commissioner being President of the Benin Football Federation, Anjorin Moucharafou. The set-up is almost the same just as the DR Congo-Libya Group B clash but for Saadallah and Moucharafou in the places of Yeo Songuifolo (Cote D'Ivoire) and Khaled Sancho (Tunisia) respectively.

The final will be Desire's second game at the tournament and it serves a compensation for the host nation whose passion died after the group phase after the elimination of their national team from the championship. A pharmacist by profession, referee Nomandiez has mainly served as a fourth official since at the helm of the DR Congo-Libya game, and the final game is expected to be his highest moment since attaining his international badge in 2004. The CHAN is a tournament designed for footballers playing in their countries of birth and in their local games.