CAF hands a full Namibian officiating crew the whistle as desperate Ghana face Somalia in a pivotal AFCON 2027 qualifier.
Namibia is getting a big continental moment. CAF has handed a full Namibian officiating crew the responsibility for the AFCON 2027 qualifier between Somalia and Ghana, a match with plenty riding on it for the Black Stars.
Mweshitsama Negongo Naftal will take charge as referee. Fellow Namibians Alex Muzibwane Lumponjani (Assistant I) and Klaus Masati Bonifatius (Assistant II) will run the lines, while Petrus Amutenya will serve as Fourth Official. The fixture is set for Essipong Sports Stadium on Monday, November 16, 2026, with kick-off at 15:00 GMT.
The wider match-day team is just as pan-African. Rwanda's Sekamana Abdoul Khaliq is the Match Commissioner, Uganda's Brian Nsubuga Miiro will assess the referee, and Ghana's Danny Adotey is Broadcast Venue Manager.
The pressure is firmly on Ghana. The Black Stars have lost both of their opening qualifiers, to Cote d'Ivoire and The Gambia, and need results fast to keep their AFCON 2027 hopes alive. Against Somalia, the target is to collect maximum points and get the campaign moving.