5th November, 2013
World football-governing body, FIFA, has appointed Gambian official, Bakary Papa Gassama as the Referee for next week’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Ethiopia in Calabar, Cross River State.
Gassama, 34, became an international referee in 2007 and has officiated several high-profile qualifying matches and at tournaments.
The Gambian will be assisted by Angesom Ogbamariam (Assistant Referee 1) from Eritrea, who was born in 1971 and had been an international assistant referee since 1999. Felicien Kabanda from Rwanda, 42 and who has been an international assistant referee for 11 years, will be
Assistant Referee 2.
The fourth official is Maudo Jallow, born in 1979 and who has been an international referee for the past four years. He is Gambian.
FIFA also appointed renowned Senegalese official Badara Sene as Referee Assessor and CAF Executive Committee member, Moucharafou Anjorin of Benin Republic as Match Commissioner. David Sabir from Bermuda is the Security Officer.
Nigeria won the first leg 2-1 in Addis Ababa on 13 October and the African champions are favoured to conclude the fixture in their favour next week, to book one of Africa’s tickets to Brazil for the biggest football festival on earth next year summer.