The Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to cancel the elite referees' camp that was scheduled to be held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, from March 3 to 8, as part of preparations for the knockout stages of the African Champions League and the African Confederation Cup.

The decision to cancel came after several referees from West and Southern Africa were unable to travel, given the current situation in the Middle East and the resulting disruptions in air travel.

These developments have led to the rerouting of several flights and the cancellation of bookings, especially since some referees were expected to arrive in Cairo via connecting flights passing through Gulf countries before reaching their final destination.

The African Union had scheduled this preparatory camp to prepare elite referees for the decisive stages of continental competitions, selecting 72 referees, including field referees, assistants, and video technology referees.

The list included Moroccan representation through referees Jalal Jaid and Hamza El Fariq as field referees, along with assistants Zakaria Brinsi, Mostafa Akarkad, and Lahcen Azgaw.

The first leg matches of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals are expected to kick off in mid-March, according to the schedule previously set by the African Football Confederation.