2026 World Cup qualifiers: Kenyan referee trusted to lead Egypt v Burkina Faso amidst past controversies

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2026 World Cup qualifiers: Kenyan referee trusted to lead Egypt v Burkina Faso amidst past controversies

Festus Chuma 20:31 - 14.05.2024

CAF appoints a Kenyan referee for the Egypt vs. Burkina Faso FIFA World Cup qualifier amid previous officiating controversies.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed FIFA referee Peter Waweru Kamaku to oversee the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Egypt and Burkina Faso, set to be played on June 6 at the Cairo International Stadium.

Kamaku steps into this role following his recent assignment at the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final where he led the officiating between Egypt's Zamalek and Morocco's Renaissance Berkane.

However, Kamaku's journey to this prestigious appointment has not been without controversy.

His last significant outing in the CAF Champions League semifinal between TP Mazembe and Al Ahly drew widespread attention not all of it favorable. 

The match saw Al Ahly proceed with a 3-0 aggregate win, but Kamaku faced criticism over a crucial decision to disallow a goal from TP Mazembe's Joel Beya. 

After a VAR consultation, Kamaku ruled out the goal for a handball—a pivotal moment that arguably changed the course of the match.

TP Mazembe's head coach Lamine N’Diaye was particularly outspoken about the decision suggesting a bias in favor of the Egyptian team. 

"We must talk about it; we lost by three goals, which angers me," N'Diaye expressed in a post-match interview with KingFut. 

"I am frustrated because I know well that we are in Africa; if we want to progress, the referees must be serious and better than that."

Despite these challenges, Kamaku's credentials remain impressive.

 Since becoming a FIFA-listed referee in 2017, his career has seen him oversee key fixtures in international tournaments, including the AFCON under-20 in 2019, the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, the 2019 Under-17 World Cup in Brazil, and the intense 2021 CHAN tournament final between Morocco and Mali.

Beyond his refereeing, Kamaku is also a respected academic holding a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Pure Mathematics and serving as a senior lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

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