South African Football Association (Safa) has expressed delight following an announcement by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) that South African referee Victor Gomes will officiate the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final on Friday.
Safa head of referees Tenda Masikhwa has congratulated the no-nonsense Premier Soccer League (PSL) referee on his appointment to be in charge of the eagerly anticipated final between Algeria and Senegal.
“We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Victor on his huge appointment of being in charge of the 2019 Afcon final – this is big by any means and we are confident he will do a magnificent job,” Masikhwa told Safa's website.
Masikhwa also expressed confidence in Gomes, stating that the appointment will encourage more of the South African match officials to work harder.
The 36-year-old has officiated several encounters including the match between hosts Egypt and DR Congo as well as Ghana's clash with Tunisia, which saw him fall under the spotlight due to a controversial error.
“This move by Caf speaks volumes about South African match officials – as we have always maintained that they are held in high esteem on the continent for the good work they are doing,” Safa head of referees continued.
Having started his career in the South African top-flight in 2008, he joined the international panel of referees three years later.
“We are hopeful this will encourage other match officials to work harder to get to this point. We would also like to say thank you to Caf for showing confidence in our match officials. Once again, good luck to Victor and his team,” he concluded.
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