The 2018 World Cup in Russia will feature a roster of 99 officials for the tournament. The recent announcement revealed a breakdown of those chosen to officiate. Six African referees chosen for the 2018 World Cup will be aided by 10 assistant referees, also from Africa. These officiants are included in the pool of 99 from various parts of the world.
African pride in Football
It’s an honor to have a total of 16 representatives from Africa officiating in the World Cup tournament. It’s an interesting dynamic, that although football is a huge sport in Nigeria and Sports betting has been increased dramatically as of the 2018 world cup event in the country no officials were selected from that country. The chosen officials from Africa are: Ethiopian BamlakTessemaWeyesa, Bakary Papa Gassama from The Gambia, Mehdi AbidCharef from Algeria, GehadGrisha from Egypt, JannySikazwe from Zambia, and Malang Diedhiou of Senegal.
Assistant Referees are: Range Marwa of Kenya, SiwelaZakheleThusi of South Africa, Camera Djibril of Senegal, Camera Djibril of Senegal, Samba Malick of Senegal, HmilaAnouar of Tunisia, EtchialiAdbelhak of Algeria, Dos Santos Jerson Emiliano of Angola, AchcikRedouane of Morocco, Birumushahu Claude of Burundi and Ahmed Waleed of Sudan.
FIFA Referee Committee
The FIFA Referee Committee has chosen 36 referees and an additional 63 assistant referees. A total of 46 different countries are represented by the pool. Selections were made with consideration for each referee or assistant’s understanding of football. Requirements include a good understanding of football as well as the ability to read the game. Each ref is able to read and distinguish the tactics used by teams and players in order to make a judgment call on the plays. Skills and personality were high on the level of importance for each official chosen.
Seminar for training
All referees and assistant referees are required to attend a preparatory seminar. Officials from the 46 countries will gather in Coverciano, Italy. The focus will be upon recognizing and distinguishing fair play with a concentration on uniformity and consistency in the calls made throughout the tournament. Protecting the image of the game as well as the players is a priority for officials.
Controversial method
In addition to traditional methods for refereeing the tournament, video assistant referees, also known as VAR, will be selected from the officials pool. The use of the VAR system started a controversy in Europe, but FIFA made the decision to include it in the assessments. VAR has the capacity for capturing some tiny details that may not be caught by real time observation. As a part of the training seminar, VAR training is a new component that is being added. This is the first time that VAR referees will be included in the World Cup Tournament. The names of the VAR referees have not yet been announced. Selections will take place prior to the seminar and will be based upon candidate experience with VAR in domestic league games.
Final preparatory seminar
A final preparation will take place in Moscow, Russia at thee FIFA World Cup Match official’s headquarters. It will be held on June 4th, just ten days prior to the start of the tournament. The final seminar is to ensure that all officials are adequately prepared to execute their duties during the tournament.
