15th January, 2014
Taiwo Adelu
FIFA has again shunned referees from Nigeria as it named match officials for the Brazil 2014 World Cup
which will take place in June.
The FIFA Referees Committee met in Zurich Tuesday under the chairmanship of Jim Boyce from Northern Ireland, and ratified the appointment of 89 officials (comprising Referees, Assistant 1 and 2)) from 43 different countries representing all confederations for the World Cup.
No Nigerian was on the list that contains names of Ivorians, Gambians, Algerians, Cameroonians, South Africans, Burundians, Rwandans, Moroccans, Senegalese and Kenyans. Just like no Nigerian referee made the top three for the Glo-CAF African Best Referee award, which was won by Haimoudi Djamel of Algeria recently.
Top on the list of Africans who will officiate at the next World Cup is award winner Haimoudi of Algeria. Others are Bakary Papa Gassama (Gambia), Noumandiez Doue (Ivory Coast), Doue Noumandiez Desire (Ivory Coast), Alioum Neant (Cameroun), and Bennett Daniel Frazer (South Africa).
Assistant referees from Africa according to FIFA’s list are Yeo Songuifolo (Ivory Coast), Birumushahu Jean Claude (Burundi), Menkouande Evarist (Cameroon), Kabanda Felicien (Rwanda), Achik Redouane (Morocco), Etchiali Abdelhak (Algeria), Camara Djibril (Senegal), and Range Marwa (Kenya).
FIFA on its website Wednesday says the referees selected for the World Cup in Brazil have been chosen based especially on their personality and their quality in football understanding by being able to read the game and the teams’ tactical approaches towards each game.
It says between now and the World Cup, the selected match officials will participate in three seminars: February, March/April, and the last one ten days before the kick-off of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“The selected referees and assistant referees will be followed and monitored regularly during this period, and FIFA is ready to give them all the support they need so that they can prepare for this important World Cup in the best possible manner,” the world football governing body said.
According to the breakdown, Europe (UEFA) produced the highest number of officials as it has 29 on the list, followed by South America (CONMEBOL) 17 officials, Asia (AFC), 14, Africa (CAF), 13, North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF), 13 and Oceania (OFC) with 3 officials.