Algeria: Referee withdraws from AFCON 2025 | OneFootball

Algeria: Referee withdraws from AFCON 2025

Bad news for Algeria just a week before the kickoff of AFCON 2025. A referee has withdrawn from the tournament.

With only a week to go before the start of AFCON 2025, Youcef Gamouh has been forced to pull out of the competition. He was initially among the main referees selected for the tournament. The Algerian official is considered one of the continent’s top referees and had been chosen for AFCON 2025. His recent appointment by FIFA to officiate at the U20 World Cup, held in Chile between September and October, was a testament to his reputation on the international stage.

According to an official statement from the Algerian Football Federation, Youcef Gamouh is ultimately unavailable due to medical reasons. Without going into detail, the FAF sent him a message wishing him a speedy recovery on Saturday, confirming his absence from the continent’s premier tournament.