World football governing body, FIFA has selected 6 African referees and 10 assistant referees to officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
A total of 53 FIFA certified referees took part in the selection process which was based on each referee’s skills and personality as well as their level of understanding of football and ability to read both the game and the various tactics employed by the teams but a total of 36 referees and 63 assistants made the final cut.
According to a statement from FIFA official website, preparatory seminars have been organised for referees and assistant referees, with special focus on fair play, players’ protection and the image of the game, as well as consistency and uniformity.
The six African referees are; Abid Charef Medhi (Algeria), Diedhiou Malang (Senegal), Gassama Bakary Papa (Gambia), Grisha Ghead (Egypt), Sikazwe Janny (Zambia)
FIFA Referees Committe said the match officials will attend another dedicated seminar for two weeks in the second half of April at the technical centre of the Italian Football Association in Coverciano, Italy. The officials will be divided into two groups, which will also include video assistant referee (VAR) candidates.
The FIFA Referees Committee will then announce the names of the referees selected to act as VARs during the FIFA World Cup. The selection process will take into account the candidate’s VAR experience in domestic leagues, FIFA competitions and FIFA refereeing seminars since the beginning of the VAR project in 2016.
There will be no British referee for the first time since the inception of the World Cup.
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