CAF Referee of the Year 2013: Haimoudi (ALG)

Algerian Djamel Haimoudi has been elected Referee of the Year for a second successive time. The 43-year old, eased past Bakary Gassama (Gambia) and Neant Alioum (Cameroon) for the award of the finest "knight of the whistle" in Africa. Haimoudi, an international referee since 2002 received the honour at the 2013 Glo-CAF Awards held on Thursday, January 9 in Lagos, Nigeria. The Algerian, who speaks both English and French, soared above his colleagues to retain his position as the best referee on the continent, for a second time running. He received his prize from CAF Executive Committee member, Magd Shams El Din, who doubles as the president of the CAF Referees’ Committee. He handled some high profile games during the year including the final match of the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations between Nigeria and Burkina Faso in Johannesburg last February. Haimoudi was also in the middle for the first leg of the 2013 Orange CAF Champions League final between Orlando Pirates (South Africa) and Al-Ahly (Egypt) last November in Johannesburg. He is also one of the prospective African referees shortlisted for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Source: CAF