Egyptian referee Gehad Grisha is in the clear to officiate at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to commence in Egypt on 21 June 2019.
The match official was handed a six-month suspension after reportedly performing poorly in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final between Wydad Casablanca and Esperance which ended 1-1. As reported by the BBC, the ban has now been lifted, and the experienced referee will return to action. "Egyptian Football Association refereeing chief Essam Abdel-Fattah said the appeal against Grisha's suspension has been accepted by CAF. Accordingly, the suspension has been lifted," the EFA said in a statement. "Grisha will now join the referees' training camp for the AFCON." Grisha took part in a preliminary course in Morocco at the end of April ahead of the AFCON, which began with Egypt taking on Zimbabwe. Last year ,the North African officiated at the FIFA World Cup in Russia including England's 6-1 win over Panama in Group G. Following the suspension of his ban, the number of Egyptian referees at the AFCON has risen to three, including Ibrahim Nour El-Din and Amin Omar.
