Wednesday, 2 February 2022

2021 AFCON Referee Appointments - Semifinals

Referee appointments at 2021 AFCON, Semifinals. 




02/02/2022

Burkina Faso vs Senegal
Referee: Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
Assistant Referee 1: Ibrahim Abdalla Mohammed (Sudan)
Assistant Referee 2: Gilbert Cheriyot (Kenya)
Fourth Official: Peter Waweru Kamaku (Kenya)
Reserve AR : Attia M. Essa Amsaaed (Libya)
Video Assistant Referee: Redouane Jiyed (Morocco)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco)
Referee Assessor : Latre-Kayi Edzona Lawson Hogban (Togo)

03/02/2022

Egypt vs Cameroon
Referee: Gassama Bakary Papa (Gambia)
Assistant Referee 1: Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos (Angola)
Assistant Referee 2: Arsenio Maringula (Mozambique)
Fourth Official: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Reserve AR : Soulaiman Almaldine (Comoros)
Video Assistant Referee: Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Khalil Hassani (Tunisia)
Referee Assessor : Ali Mohamed Ahmed (Somalia)

84 comments:

  1. The meeting of the Referees Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is still being held to decide on the referees for the semi-final round of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon . the meeting held witnessed major differences between the members of the Referees Committee, which only settled on appointing the Ethiopian referee with a property named as a referee for Burkina Faso, Senegal and Moroccan Radwan Gaid in the VAR.Despite the voices calling for the match between Egypt and Cameroon to be attributed to a crew from outside the continent, specifically to Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar and Mexican Fernando Guerrero in the VAR after their participation in the tournament, the proposal was rejected and Escobar was notified of the end of his career in the tournament.Disagreements within the committee extended to the names of the referees who were supposed to leave after the tournament matches were reduced to 4 matches, with two matches in the semi-finals, the final match, and the match to determine the third and fourth places.Despite the leakage of the name of the Gambian referee Bakari Gasama, until the early hours of Tuesday morning, the name of the referee team for the match between Egypt and Cameroon was not settled, and nothing official was announced.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The departure of Escobar and Guerrero is confirmed. They are now on their way home.

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    2. Their return to Guatemala and Mexico is not easy and certainly not quick. They will probably go to Paris with
      the only evening flight from Yaounde or Douala.

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    3. Bakary gassama will referee Egypt vs Cameroon

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  2. My early wish:

    Ndala Ngambo for CMR-EGY, Gomes for the final.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ΟΤ

    Adrián Cordero Vega (no FIFA) will handle the Greek SL match Aris - AEK. His assistants are Antonio Luis Cerezo Parfenof and Aitor Villate Martinez. VAR is Santiago Jaime Latre.

    Any info from our Spanish readers about the referee? What to expect?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A lenient referee with laidback style and poor management skills.

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    2. I can only say that I'm really surprised to read his name on an international appointment. He's at the bottom part of Spanish referees for me.

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    3. Yes, it could be a kind of award for him, but he is between the 5 worst referees of Spain, I´m not seeing him promoting to FIFA referee, he is year by year near to the drop to 2nd division... but if Melero has been able to survive a large amount of years in Primera, anything can be expected !

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    4. Thank you so much for this info.

      I will try to report my impressions.

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    5. What is exactly the role of Mark Clattenburg in Greece?
      Picking up here and there random foreign referees to officiate SL big games?
      Do they pay him well enough for that?

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    6. "What is exactly the role of Mark Clattenburg in Greece?"

      Good question. On paper, to promote and develop Greek refereeing. In reality, nobody knows.

      "Do they pay him well enough for that?"

      It is said that he is paid 500.000 a year. Too much money. Pereira was paid approximately 220.000 a year.
      Steve Bennett (in charge of observers) gets 60.000 a year.

      The thing is that nothing has changed. Referees are afraid. They are mostly afraid of the teams that control our FA. And as a result, they make many mistakes. It's a complicated situation here.

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  4. Very interesting interview with Tomasz Kwiatkowski, Marciniak's VAR. Some insights from Arab Cup and FIFA seminar.

    https://www.meczyki.pl/newsy/polski-sedzia-z-szansami-na-mundial-ta-druzyna-to-najwyzszy-poziom-mobbingu-nasz-wywiad/181592-n

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So he is basically saying, that FIFA doesn't follow the "clear and obvious" principle, but wants the VAR to intervene, if he had taken a different decision?

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    2. Exactly. FIFA wants the optimal decision to be taken even if it's 55-45 situation. UEFA, in contrary, is very strict with 'clear and obvious' and wants as few interventions as possible. In Poland it still has to be a 'clear and obvious error' to intervene as VAR but the instruction is to be less formalistic than UEFA and allow intervention in, let's say, 80-20 situations. And Kwiatkowski prefers the Polish way of dealing with VAR.

      Also interesting that Collina "wants to defend referees from 'transparency'" and is a fan of referee-VAR communication being kept strictly confidential.

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    3. This was already clear from the beginning, we saw it in many FIFA tournaments differently from UEFA matches. FIFA is more open-mind about VAR, what surprises me is the fact that Collina is a technician of refereeing, very expert and one of the most qualified person of the world about that, but he accepts this wrong use of VAR. Maybe an explanation can be that in FIFA, differently from UEFA, we have many referees from different confederations and the guidelines for a clear and obvious mistake are really difficult to give if compared to UEFA. In UEFA, still difficult, but we saw that Rosetti has created a selected pool of "ELITE VAR" inside the confederation, and this can explain some things as well. In FIFA, with all the interests and referees all over the word, most of them coming from countries without VAR, this should be indeed very hard to do, but still, in case, they could have tried that. I don't know what do you think about this issue.

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    4. To be honest, I prefer FIFA's approach. If the VAR is quite sure that the referee will change his decision after re-watching it, the intervention shouldn't be prevented by formalism. VAR is a tool to help the whole football world. Why should we limit its use as much as UEFA do? What is the goal behind preventing VARs from intervention only because of strict interpretation of written text (protocol) when everyone is able to see that the decision is wrong (but not clearly and obviously!!! wrong)?

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    5. Do you think, this approach was already in place at WC18? IIRC, we had on average 1 intervention per 3 matches there, which is similar to Champions League, Bundesliga etc., I think. So either the referees were much better at the WC, or they have used a restrictive approach to VAR back then.

      The goal behind a high barrier for intervention is to limit the number of interventions and not to re-referee the match too much. Furthermore it becomes more difficult to justify non-interventions, if the general threshold is lower.

      BTW, very interesting interview overall.
      E.g., his assessment, that his chances for the WC strongly depend on Marciniak and that it's more likely Marciniak is selected, but Kwiatkowski not than the other way around.

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    6. @Euro Soccer Ref the main point against the use of VAR in this way is what Philipp reported, and that's my big problem to be honest. Using VAR in this way means to officiate for a second time the game, the central referee loses his authority, but more than that consistency is totally missed. You can't have a VAR intervening for everything he would decide in a different way, without having some criteria to follow. That's too much freedom. If you read again the reasons for which VAR was introduced you surely understand. It is what Rosetti very often reports. Let me also add, this is my point of view, given the protocol in use, so maybe starting with changing it would be the first step, if they want to keep VAR used in this way.
      Furthermore, we can't have different uses of VAR, neutral fans can't understand what are the principles that referees use.
      In my opinion there should be always a logic behind everything.

      @Philipp good question about WC 2018, given that it was the beginning for VAR, only a few years after his official birth, I think at that time we could say FIFA had not still clear ideas about what to do but indeed in the next tournaments we saw definitely more interventions. I would say that what we see today by FIFA regarding the use of VAR started after that date. Also, Zwayer would have easily intervened for helping Brych in SUI - SRB with the approach now declared by FIFA.

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    7. As referee's do we not strive for "perfection" every time we step onto the pitch?
      Do we not try to be the best to include always trying to make the right call?
      VAR is an added tool to ensure that in the end the correct (supported by the LoTG) decision is made.
      Period, point blank, end of story.

      Delete
    8. Yes Anonymous, I agree with your last statement, this is what VAR should bring to game, but when you have penalty incidents that are mostly grey areas and very often we see VAR intervention because VAR has a different idea, is that the correct solution?
      This process doesn't bring to the correct decision, but to "a decision", that can be supportable according to LOTG...
      That's why I'm against a certain use of VAR, there isn't the need to do that, but if we talk about objective (black or white) decisions, OK.

      Delete
  5. FIFA WC QUALIFIERS - CONCACAF

    2 February

    JAMAICA - COSTA RICA
    Referee: Jair Marrufo (USA)
    Assistant Referee 1: Frank Anderson (USA)
    Assistant Referee 2: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
    Fourth Official: Tori Penso (USA)
    Video Assistant Referee: Adonai Escobedo (MEX)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Tatiana Guzmán (NCA)

    UNITED STATES - HONDURAS
    Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM)
    Assistant Referee 1: Ojay Duhaney (JAM)
    Assistant Referee 2: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing (JAM)
    Fourth Official: Randy Encarnación (DOM)
    Video Assistant Referee: Erick Miranda (MEX)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

    EL SALVADOR - CANADA
    Referee: Armando Villarreal (USA)
    Assistant Referee 1: Ian Anderson (USA)
    Assistant Referee 2: Logan Brown (USA)
    Fourth Official: Reon Radix (GRN)
    Video Assistant Referee: Chris Penso (USA)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Allen Chapman (USA)

    MEXICO - PANAMA
    Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
    Assistant Referee 1: Micheal Barwegen (CAN)
    Assistant Referee 2: Lyes Arfa (CAN)
    Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauzière (CAN)
    Video Assistant Referee: Tim Ford (USA)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Benjamín Pineda (CRC)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is Marrufo confirmed?
      I read, that he is injured and would be replaced by Ortiz.

      Delete
    2. That's what has been reported by CONCACAF some hours ago. But on the other hand, the Mexican Football Federation confirms your information...

      CONCACAF: https://www.concacaf.com/es/eliminatoria-copa-mundial-hombres/noticias/mexico-y-ee-uu-buscaran-ganar-en-casa/

      FMF: https://arbitraje.fmf.mx/detalle-noticia/cambios-en-designaciones-arbitrales-internacionales-eliminatoria-mundialista-de-la-concacaf_911

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    3. The FIFA website is listing Barton as the referee for Mexico-Panama. Is he being replaced?

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    4. It is being confirmed that MEX - PAN match officials have changed according to original CONCACAF publishing.

      MEXICO - PANAMA
      Referee: Iván Arcides Barton Cisneros (SLV).
      AR1: David Jonathan Morán Santos (SLV)
      AR2: Zachari Jair Zeegelaar (SUR).
      Fourth Official: Jaime Alfredo Herrera Bonilla (SLV).
      VAR: Timothy Ford (USA).
      AVAR: Benjamín Pineda Ávila (CRC).

      Drew Fischer is in UAE with FIFA Club World Cup as VMO. Speaking to someone in Canada Soccer close to this, since working with Fernando as a Mexican makes the Canadian foursome not neutral for many of the matches. That is the reason why there is no Canadian third teams this CONCACAF window.

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    5. Barton's name was on the FIFA website for this match since the appointments were published last week.

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    6. I am just commenting on the difference between what CONCACAF and FIFA published.

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  6. Confirmed: CMR vs EGY: Gassama, dos Santos, Marengula - VAR: Guirat

    ReplyDelete
  7. African Nations Cup 2022 Cameroon
    Semifinals

    Egypt vs Cameroon

    Referee: Gassama Bakary Papa (Gambia)
    Assistant Referee 1: Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos (Angola)
    Assistant Referee 2: Arsenio Maringula (Mozambique)
    Fourth Official: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
    Reserve AR : Soulaiman Almaldine (Comoros)
    Video Assistant Referee: Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Khalil Hassani (Tunisia)
    Referee Assessor : Ali Mohamed Ahmed (Somalia)

    ReplyDelete
  8. As a result of PCR testing, FIFA Referee ( not FIFA Assistant Referee) Salman Falahi (QAT) officiated AFC Qualifiers between Lebanon and Iraq as the “assistant referee”.
    And “Lebanese” FIFA Referee Hussein Abo Yehia also officiated this match as 4th official.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kogeki. Very interesting detail; COVID times! I can add - good performance by Adham Makhadmah as referee in this important game. Besides missed cautions at 44' (dive) and 56' (reckless charging), very well-prepared and convincing impression by the Jordanian ref in a key fixture.

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  9. After the appointment of Bakary Gassama for a semifinal, based only on his name and not on performance, I think that it would be very unfair to leave Ndala Ngambo without further appointments. I think he becomes a candidate for the final, but still possible to see him in third place.

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    Replies
    1. I agree with your sentiment on Gassama being appointed based on reputation not on performance. I am hoping Ngambo will get a Final appointment based on his performance throughout AFCON. But the way that CAF Referee Committee has been allegedly arguing of late about match official appointments in the tournament, I don't think the Final will be straight forward in the least. Fingers crossed.

      Delete
  10. Statements by Sikazwe
    https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/60198906.amp

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    Replies
    1. All my solidarity to him but for me this situation should have been prevented. Unless he felt totally out of any ability to communicate suddenly, he should have previously warned of not being able to handle the game, thus avoiding what happened later, also for his health, first of all. I'm not aware of the specifics of a sunstroke and the way it affects people, but I also notice that situations like this on a football field at the highest levels almost never happen. There must be a reason. UEFA recommends being 100% fit to officiate a match and during it. We are extremely happy that he is fine, having avoided the worst, but I say that this scenario could have been avoided perhaps. Good luck for the future, with a curiosity about the world cup, unfortunately despite everything, for the reasons I said, he could "pay" what he did.

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  11. Ndabihawenimana even better than Gassama at this tournament, and that's what I don't like, agreeing 100% with you.
    Some referees get big assignments only due to their career, while other ones are not rewarded after very good performances.
    Gomes in final would indeed be a bit undeserved because he had VAR interventions, there were other referees without interventions. I know that there are other criteria to follow, but mostly big / already planned names get everything, as it often happens. I would be happy to read different names in final.

    ReplyDelete
  12. "The Turkish press, through the Haber newspaper, announces that FIFA referee Cuneyt Cakir has been offered by the Saudi football federation to officiate in the championship, being paid $ 500,000 a year for his services. The Turkish referee is still analyzing the offer and will give an answer soon."
    I remember a few years ago Mark Clattenburg received a similar offer. I think Cakir should go, there are a lot of money and he has nothing to aim at in Europe. The chances to see him in Qatar are very low anyway in my opinion.

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    Replies
    1. I know it's a lot of money but if I was him I'd wait until after the referees for the World Cup are announced before making a decision.

      Delete
  13. It is reported, that Zwayer participates in the UEFA seminary online these days. This means two things:
    - He at least hasn't decided to end his career. There are also statements, which suggest, he will continue, but no clear announcement yet.
    - It confirms, the course is still happening (just remote)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good news to hear about Zwayer still participating in UEFA Seminary online. There is still hope.

      Delete
  14. FIFA WC QUALIFIERS - AFC

    1 January

    IRAN - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
    Referee: Ahmad Abu Bakar Said Al-Kaf (OMA)
    Assistant Referee 1: Abu Bakar Salim Mahad Al-Amri (OMA)
    Assistant Referee 2: Rashid Hamad Ali Al-Ghaithi (OMA)
    Fourth Official: Hettikankanamge Crishantha Dilan Perera (SRI)
    * game without VAR

    LEBANON - IRAQ
    Referee: Adham Muhammad Tumah Makhadmah (JOR)
    Assistant Referee 1: Muhammad Mustafa Hamad Al-Kalaf (JOR)
    Assistant Referee 2: Salman Ahmad Fallahi (QAT)
    Fourth Official: Hussain Abu Yahia (LBN)
    Video Assistant Referee: Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al-Jassim (QAT)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Saud Ali Al-Adhbah (QAT)

    SYRIA - KOREA REPUBLIC
    Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (JPN)
    Assistant Referee 1: Jun Mihara (JPN)
    Assistant Referee 2: Osamu Nomura (JPN)
    Fourth Official: Muhammad Khalid Al-Huwaish (KSA)
    Video Assistant Referee: Jumpei Iida (JPN)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Yusuke Araki (JPN)

    JAPAN - SAUDI ARABIA
    Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (KOR)
    Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Jae-yeol (KOR)
    Assistant Referee 2: Park Sang-jun (KOR)
    Fourth Official: Kim Woo-sung (KOR)
    Video Assistant Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (KOR)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kim Dae-yong (KOR)

    VIETNAM - CHINA PR
    Referee: Nawaf Abdullah Ghayyath Shukralla (BHR)
    Assistant Referee 1: Muhammad Jaafar Muhammad Salman (BHR)
    Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Salah Abdullah Muhsin Al-Ruwaimi (BHR)
    Fourth Official: Yahya Ali Muhammad Hasan Al-Mulla (UAE)
    Video Assistant Referee: Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari bin Jahari (SIN)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan bin Yaacob (MAS)

    OMAN - AUSTRALIA
    Referee: Muhammad Abdullah Hassan Muhammad (UAE)
    Assistant Referee 1: Muhammad Ahmad Yusif Abdullah Al-Hammadi (UAE)
    Assistant Referee 2: Hassan Muhammad Hassan Abdullah Al-Mahri (UAE)
    Fourth Official: 'Adil Ali Ahmad Khamis Al-Naqbi (UAE)
    Video Assistant Referee: Khamis Muhammad Al-Marri (QAT)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you know why NO VAR for Iran - UAE? Maybe COVID issues for the appointed official?

      Delete
    2. No, previous Iran's game didn't have VAR as well. Iran has not been able to implement the technology at their stadium(s).

      Delete
  15. BFA-SEN, strange situation in 15':
    Referee whistled and indicated a free kick for BFA, probably for a dive (would be justified). But he then doesn't show a Yellow Card and continues the game by throwing the ball to the GK - not like a normal dropped ball, but over some distance. Also the ball wasn't in the penalty area at the moment of the whistle, so no reason for a dropped ball for the GK.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I saw that aswell. Indeed very strange. I wonder why the player protested, as it was clearly a dive!

      Delete
  16. 29': Penalty for SEN given for a GK challenge (GK uses his fist, attacker using his head for a high ball) and then taken back after OFR.
    Slow-motion shows, that both player play the ball, the attacker slightly earlier, but the GK with the bigger impact. The GK brings also more intensity to the clash of their bodies.
    IMO the VAR intervention was wrong here, the PK was at least supportable.
    Furthermore the game was stopped for 7 minutes there alone. Announced additional time in first half was 6 minutes - still enough for another penalty decision...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bamlak Tessema Weyesa Is having a Nightmare!!! Two penalties overturned by VAR and for the second one it’s a wrong restart or something like that, indicated a dropped ball and then gave a corner, so much confusion

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, he indicated it wrongly first, but corner was the correct restart.

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    2. Philipp I would love to ask what is the exception for a dropped ball not being given after an overturned penalty or can you just run me through the rule when a dropped ball is given or when a corner is given after a penalty overturn

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    3. Restart depends on the fact if the referee whistled before the ball was out of play or not.

      If the ball is still in play and you whistle for a penalty kick, but change that decision, the restart is a dropped ball.

      Delete
  18. OFR to revoke a penalty initially whistled to Senegal for handball.
    Correct decision IMO, no enlargment of the body surface, quite clear non-punishable handball.

    ReplyDelete
  19. How about ethopian referee bamlak tessema

    ReplyDelete
  20. Videos from Burkins Faso - Senegal

    15' - What happened is still not clear in my opinion. Maybe free kick for simulation against attacker, but then?
    https://streamable.com/gydm1m

    29' - Penalty annulled after OFR
    https://streamable.com/aot5y0
    It is the same speech as Ecuador - Brazil, all is about the importance of having played ball before, it seems that also for CAF this is a key factor in VAR interventions. Penalty wouldn't have been a mistake as Philipp wrote, but it seems as he hadn't had the exact perception of the incident. A long time before leaving the monitor.

    45'+6 - Penalty annulled after OFR
    https://streamable.com/10913b
    In this case 100% correct decision thank to VAR correction, nothing to add. Just a particular remark about Thessema and his style, look at his eyes when player from Senegal very likely still wanted to kick penalty. Very angry :) Some body languages that we rarely see in UEFA.

    It is also very interesting to see how in both OFR the video footage started with the key frame: in the first incident, the hands of keeper playing ball before opponent, and in the second one the point of contact. This can be a particular instruction by CAF committee and this also helps us in understanding all the reasons behind every decision.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another situation, 42' Penalty appeal:
      https://streamable.com/b4sm29
      I agree with referee and VAR, no intervention, not a clear penalty, not even a penalty for me.

      Delete
    2. I agree with 42'. Both players stretching and not playing the ball. I can't see a PK at all here. The almost not existent contact plus the very unnatural dive makes me think a VARint in case of a PK would not be wrong.

      Delete
    3. Bamlak must be praised, not for original decisions but for coping with OFR pressure:

      Calm, formal gesture. Ready to take a confident decision on his own first, not relying on VAR. And then the modesty to get overruled twice in such important game. Many abilities of a great referee. Of course, unlucky that in semifinal the key decisions both were wrong on field.

      Delete
    4. I fully agree, there is something more than a wrong original decision taken on the pitch before VAR intervention, and this is the acceptance of VAR. Absolutely no problems by Thessema in going twice to VAR and then changing decision, especially in the second incident. Vert often we see referees that are really in trouble with a VAR intervention, that's not his case.
      Also, he took decisions before VAR all the time, as you pointed out, that's a very good point as well, but then of course the assessment must be made also on that. I would like to see many referees so calm like him while interacting with VAR.

      Delete
  21. I think bamlak tessema officiating in final

    ReplyDelete
  22. These statements by Egyptian side are pure rubbish. They just want attention on them. Very stupid arguments like mistakes in the previous game (Gassama wasn't the referee) and Gassama's mistakes in all previous games involving national team and clubs. Then, they talk against Cameroon.
    One thing is sure, Gassama will face a huge pressure today.
    He will be surely strong enough to bear it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Chefren respect Egyptians i am egyptian and gassama not give us correct penalty kick in match nigeria we are talking about this match egypt vs nigeria why gassama referee egypt again and where gomes he didn't referee any match for Egypt and Cameroon in can caneroun respect us as we respect you you are mistaken and you must apologise for Egyptians

    ReplyDelete
  24. It's not about Egypt, I would have written the same for all countries. Be serious, let's judge Gassama only after the game.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Chefren, I am not Egyptian but I also find your statement disgusting and double-faced. Obviously it is not a problem for you to call a whole nation "stupid and rubbish" but if somebody states something like that for a referee, you immediately delete the post as an impropriate. This is a very good example how false, low in moral and far from reality the referees' society is and how it cannot accept any critique, no matter how justified it is.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dear Anonymous,
    I didn't call a whole nation, as you are stating, "stupid and rubbish", but these terms are only targeted to what they said.
    And this must be condemned wherever it comes from.
    Also, if a referee makes something unfair, he must be blamed, but respect comes first of all.
    That's all and I'm sorry if you don't understand.

    ReplyDelete
  27. This Is Bakary Gassama 6th Afcon, and in that time he has officiated 4 Semi Finals and one Final!!! What a Record!!! Hope we don’t see him in 18minths time for the next AFCON he has more than served his time impeccably

    ReplyDelete
  28. Mr Gassama we need you in the English Premier League just to deal with our managers.

    ReplyDelete
  29. You all just try to look for fault when there is none to draw attention or what?? Chefren never call a whole nation stupid and rubbish but just said what the Egyptian FA said is stupid and rubbish. It’s that simple, please don’t over complicate things , why would he want to call Egypt as a nation Stupid and Rubbish. I really do not even understand this compliants against Gassama because the head of Ref committee in Africa is an Egyptian!!!

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  30. Just tuning in and very hard foul in 46' against Egyptian player and most casual, non-chalant hand signal by the referee. I do, however, like his over the knee socks, a look often sported by the players but never before seen on a referee, I believe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pitana does that all the time with socks.

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    2. Interesting. I just looked up Pitana and it says he is a former actor, so that could explain the socks. ; )

      Delete
  31. Chefren, I've mentioned this before, but is there any way to open up the blog to domestic competitions? I know it would be a lot of extra work to post all the assignments, but a general page could be created for domestic assignments without listing all the matches and referees. The reason is that the main matches I watch are in the Premiere League and I only visit this blog for the occassional international or Champions League fixture. So many times I want to critique a Premiere League referee, but there is nowhere to post the comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just post it on the most recent page and start with "OT:"
      (which means "off topic". Happens all the time. If you talk about the PL I will often join the discussion, as I watch a lot of it :)

      Delete
  32. Egypt FA really looked for trouble and Gassama looks to be very Strict with them!!! Very very strict today !!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Clear corner denied for Egypt now by AR1

    ReplyDelete
  34. In my opinion excellent performance by Gassama in this very hot semifinal. The game didn't escalate too much, it was rather a psychological battle than a real play. Indeed, a poor show (in terms of football) from both teams mostly for 120 minutes. He was always in control, and firm in managing the protests from the benches. He showed equity while deciding for both teams, by also using his experience. Definitely the best performance in this tournament for him. Well done, he is among the best CAF referees ever and should try (have tried?) to do more outside the confederation.

    Final Senegal - Egypt.

    Expected prediction:
    Victor Gomes (RSA)

    My wishes:
    1) Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo (COD)
    2) Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)

    Very likely one of the the two will get rather third place final.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Final predictions
    BFA-CMR: Gomes (RSA), dos Santos (ANG), Phatsoane (LES), Laryea (GHA) - Ashour, El Bana, Abouelregal (all EGY)
    SEN-EGY: Ndabihawenimana (BDI), Ibrahim (SDN), Tiama (BFA), Selmi (TUN) - Charef (ALG), Bamlak (ETH), Hassani (TUN)

    ReplyDelete
  36. My predictions based on performances thru AFCON

    Third place: CMR-BFA Victor Gomes (RSA)
    Final: SEN-EGY Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Predictions
    Final Gomes
    Third place Ndala

    ReplyDelete
  38. African Nations Cup 2022 Cameroon
    Third Place

    Burkina Faso vs Cameroon

    Referee: Redouane Jiyed (Morocco)
    Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (Morocco)
    Assistant Referee 2: Mostafa Akarkad (Morocco)
    Fourth Official: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia)
    Reserve AR : Attia M. Essa Amsaaed (Libya)
    Video Assistant Referee: Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Khalil Hassani (Tunisia)
    Referee Assessor : Ali Mohamed Ahmed (Somalia)

    ReplyDelete

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