Damon, who was Mzansi’s only whistleman at last year’s World Cup, was due to take charge of the key African Nations Cup qualifying match between Senegal and Cameroon in Dakar, but has since been replaced.
The Cape Town schoolmaster has been nixed by Cameron, whose football federation objected to his appointment.
A letter, written earlier this month by Sidiki Tombi, the secretary general of the Cameroon Football Federation, asked for Damon to be removed, along with his two assistants Enoch Molefe and Zakhele Siwela.
Damon refereed Cameroon’s opening qualifying match in Group E when they won 3-1 in Mauritius in September last year.
Cameroon objected to Damon’s awarding of a penalty to the islanders just before half-time. Cameroon also got a penalty in the second half and registered a comfortable win.
Cameroon also objected to a controversial decision that Damon made at the last Nations Cup in Angola when he awarded a goal in the quarter-final, which The Indomitable Lions lost to Egypt.
The shot did not clearly cross the line but proved the final nail in Cameroon’s 3-1 defeat to the Egyptians and their exit from the tournament.
There is concern from Senegal that Cameroon’s influence in the corridors of power in African football is such that they are able to dictate which referees they want in charge of key matches. The new referees for Saturday’s game in Dakar are from Tunisia.
CAF’s president Issa Hayatou hails from Cameroon but said recently he was seeking to stand down soon.
Damon was in Harare on Sunday when he was in charge of an African Champions League match between Dynamos of Zimbabwe and Mouloudia Alger from Algeria.




Your comments on this story...
I'm glad CAF has rejected this moron. He has cost so many teams with his pathetic dubious decisions on the field.
Bravo Cameroon!!!
Damon is the most arrogant, pompous and worst referee I have ever seen in Mzansi. He should have been left to rot on the sidelines as an assitant referee than being in the middle where he looks for attention... small man syndrome!!! I bet he didn't have friends when he was young and was bullied at school trying to get some needed attention poephol!!!
It serves him right, he must be removed permanently and focus on being a school headmass.
So much as I agree that the two think they are above everyone in the referees' circles especially in SA but I just want to get clarity in as far as the aforesaid questions are concerned because it doesn't help to make noise without being objective and constructive.
I am getting sick and tired of this nigerians sorry cameronians. Okay some countries are running our football not fair at all. This type of interventions should be classified as political. I just can't believe this s**t is happening at this day and age. Clearly it seems there is no fooltball organisation in africa. We cant be happy about this because if it was SA, CAF could have answered with a big NO. Nonsense that.
Exactly my point, fellow African. Sometimes we need to look at things wholestically and objectively. If roles were to turn and we are the ones requesting the same CAF to withdraw a particular ref will that request be considered and approved? I doubt and my doubt is justified by previous decisions taken against SA therefore I honestly do not find this as a matter to celebrate instead I feel dishonoured as an African owing to the preconception of our governing bodies even in football.
People are allowed to lodge a complaint against any referee and if the CAF panel find evidence that the poephol is incompetent surely they will remove him from the game and I am happy it happened.
I can't agree more with that, we all know he made a match changing decision agaisnt cameroon in angola. The opposite of the one made in the world cup when lampard was supposed to have scored for england. He is only human and such rebounds from the crossbar are difficult to judge, that is another issue for FIFA to act on. It is very sad that some countries have rights to request this and that and they get listened to. I am disappointed with CAF as an organisation they should be protecting refrees. CAF is like a monarchy full of dictators. The only person who can sort this hayatou out is the honourable doctor Ivin the iron duke Khoza he will do it his own way but it will work.
I feel you my man agree 100% with you, but I feel you missing the point the point here is CAF is biased towards cameroon but if it was SA(or another country) the request could have been rejected. Facts or no facts the refrees performances are always reviewed, if a refree is underperforming he should releived of his duties, but not after he was asked to ref a match then someone complains and then he is removed.
The fact remains Danone is a liability and needed to be purged. It's laughable to hear SUFFER saying Danone is the best referee in the country. He is in the category of Herman Nkuna and Shorty Mabuza.
The best referee in Africa is Lee Kim Chong from Mauratius.
From what I have gathered the President of the CAF Referees Commision is Sengalese and unless there was interference from the top but if he doesn't speak out then it is his loss because Senegal is the one playing Cameroon.
I raised question in my comments above. Those questions will determine whether the decision is justified or not hence I said it doesn't help if don't know yet the nitty-gritties of what led to the decision except that Cameroon applied and were granted. On which basis and I still repeat myself...is there a clause/rule/regulation/provision that speaks about that, etc?
Two African Nations' cup ago, the Ivorians beat Nigeria. Till today, it is still a controversy if Drogba's goal was an offside
THAT WAS NOT AN OFFSIDE AT ALL JOBO AND CO DID NOT COUT THAT LONG BALL VERY WELL.YOU CAN WATCH A REPLAY NOW ON YOUTUBE