SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, (THEWILL) – FIFA has chosen the 36 referees for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
According to BBC Sport, six African officials were named among the 36 from other continents while 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).
Surprisingly, 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.
However, 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 English Football Association did ask FIFA to replace him with another official but the request was rejected.
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.
Meanwhile, Europe will be represented by referees from Germany, Turkey, Russia, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Serbia, Italy, Slovenia and France.
