The African Football Confederation (CAF) has announced the referees selected for the preparatory stage ahead of the upcoming U17 Africa Cup of Nations, a crucial step before finalizing the list of officials for the tournament set to take place in Morocco from May 13 to June 2.
In this initial selection, Senegal will be represented by just one referee: El Hadj Amadou Sy. Following this preparatory camp, the CAF will announce the final list of referees who will officiate at the U17 CAN in Morocco. Appointed a FIFA international referee in 2019, El Hadj Amadou Sy continues to solidify his rising reputation. Born in Saint-Louis, he began his officiating journey in local navétanes competitions, initially in youth categories, before climbing the ranks through senior divisions and eventually establishing himself in Senegal’s professional league.
With extensive experience in continental tournaments, Sy previously officiated at the 2023 U20 Africa Cup of Nations and was among the referees selected for the last U17 CAN. Historically, Senegal has often been represented by multiple referees or a trio from the country. This time, El Hadj Amadou Sy carries the national flag alone during this preparatory phase, with the ambition of securing a spot on the final list and representing Senegal at the tournament, where the national U17 team will also participate.
nations with multiple representatives in the caf u17 referee selection
Among the countries with the highest representation are Algeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Morocco, Zambia, and South Africa, each contributing three referees. Other nations like Tunisia, Mali, Nigeria, and Egypt have two officials in the list.