Absent among the 26 referees retained on 6 June 2019 for the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Egypt, Eric Otogo-Castane has just been cleared by the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA). The decision was notified to him on 18 June by the president of the Gabonese football federation (Fegafoot).The Gabonese will referee in the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for July 21 to 13 in Egypt.
Eric Otogo-Castane was not among the referees retained on 6 June 2019 by CAF. Some had presented this absence as the consequence of the controversy surrounding the match of the first leg between Horoya and WAC Casablanca, in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last May. The leaders of the Guinean club had asked CAF for sanctions against Eric Otogo-Castane and his assistants. They accused them of making unfair refereeing decisions. The request seems to have failed as suggested by the Gabonese referee. However, neither FIFA nor Fegafoot have justified the integration of Eric Otogo-Castane on the referees list, only three days before the start of CAN 2019.
