President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi says officiating would play a crucial role in making next year’s African Cup of Nations a success for the continent.

Ghana would play host to the rest of Africa when sixteen participating nations line up for the continent’s flagship sporting event in four Ghanaian cities.

And ahead of the Cup of Nations, Africa’s sport body, the Confederation of African Football – CAF, has held the 2007 edition of the CAF Elite Referees and Assistant Referees Course which opened in Accra on Thursday.

The five-day course which has 48 participants drawn across the continent is to select match officials for the 26th MTN African Cup of Nations, Ghana 2008.

Kwesi Nyantakyi, in his welcome address extolled the idea of the course which will see participants being taken through areas such as corruption, teamwork, positioning and running techniques.

“The success of Ghana 2008 ACN will depend largely on the competence and ability of referees and their assistants,” the President of the Ghana Football Association said.

Vice President of CAF Referee’s Committee, Omar Sey, who was a Referee Instructor when Ghana hosted the biennial event in 1978 also said the role of referees and assistants referees will be crucial to the success of the next year’s event and advised them to take their lessons seriously.

“Your fairness, consistency and the way you relate to players will play a major role in making the tournament a better one.

“The responsibility is very bigger now and a lot is expected from match officials,” said the Gambian.

Participants will be taken through topics such as Corruption in Football, Referee signals, Duties and Responsibilities, Gestures, Fouls and Misconduct, Interpretation of the Offside Rule among others for the course which ends on Sunday.