Kumasi, Jan. 22, GNA - A retired referee, Emmanuel Kwasi Asante has praised the standard of officiating at the on-going Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) tournament in Angola.

He said the referees have so far lived up to expectation and handled the matches professionally and he encouraged them to continue to be firm in the remaining matches to raise the image of African football. Referee Asante, the immediate-past Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) was speaking to the GNA Sports in Kumasi on Friday.

The tournament enters the knock-out stage on Sunday with crucial encounters between the senior national team, the Black Stars of Ghana and their Angolan counterparts, whilst the Elephants of La Cote d'Ivoire lock horns against the Algeria's Desert Warriors.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria take on the Chipolopolo of Zambia with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon pitching their strength against the defending champions, the Pharaohs of Egypt.

Referee Asante lauded measures put in place by the Technical Committee of CAF to enhance officiating, including reduction of the number of referees whilst giving assistant referees more powers to decide on "the off-side rule" and empowering referees to protect players on the field through "out-right red cards" for rough play and indiscipline. Only 30 referees were assigned for the Angolan tournament, 15 short of the last CAN tournament.

Referee Asante, on his impression about the Black Stars' impending match, urged the technical handlers to keep an eye on the deadly Angolan attacking duo of Flavio Amado and Manucho, whom he said could dash Ghana's hope of advancing to the next stage of the competition. There is the need for the team to be psyched up to play confidently in spite of the fact that they would be playing in front of a hostile home crowd. 22 Jan. 10