FIFA names 36 refs for World Cup, snubs Nigerians

 

FIFA has chosen six African officials for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, it was revealed on Thursday, BBC Sport reports.

In addition there will also be 10 assistant referees from Africa. The referees are Abid  Medhi (Algeria), Diedhiou Malang (Senegal), Gassama Bakary (Guinea), Grisha Ghead (Egypt), Sikawe Janny (Zambia) and Tessema  Bamlak (Ethiopia).

The assistant referees are Achik Redouane (Morocco), Ahmed Waleed (Sudan), Birumushahu  Claude (Burundi), Camera Djibril (Senegal), Dos Santos Jerson Emiliano (Angola), Etchiali Abdelhak (Algeria), Hmila Anouar (Tunisia), Range Marwa (Kenya), Samba Malick (Senegal) Siwela Zakhele Thusi (South Africa).

There will be no British referee at the World Cup this summer for the first time since 1938.

Mark Clattenburg was the only Briton on FIFA’s long list of officials, collated in summer 2016, from which it would choose the final selection for Russia.

But he left his job with the Premier League and forfeited his place.

Clattenburg, who took charge of the Euro 2016 final when Portugal overcame hosts France, quit his job as a top-flight official in February 2017 to become Saudi Arabia’s new head of referees.

The Football Association did ask  FIFA  to replace him with another official but it rejected the request.

There are also no British officials among the 63 assistant referees selected, while video assistant referees will be chosen from the pool of officials at the tournament.

VAR is being used at the World Cup for the first time.

The World Cup did not take place for 12 years after 1938 because of World War Two, and since it resumed in 1950 there has been at least one English referee at each tournament.

England’s Howard Webb was Britain’s sole representative at the last two World Cups in 2010 and 2014.

Europe will be represented by referees from Germany, Turkey, Russia, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Serbia, Italy, Slovenia and France.