2022 FIFA WCQ: FIFA appoints VAR officials for Ghana v Nigeria playoff encounter

World football governing body, FIFA has appointed VAR officials to handle the two legs of Ghana’s clash against Nigeria in the playoff round of the qualifiers to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In an appointment sheet containing the list of officials selected for both legs of the upcoming playoff games, FIFA has made a few changes.

The First leg:

Morocco’s Rédouane Jiyed has been retained as centre referee for the first leg encounter scheduled to be staged in Cape Coast.

The Moroccan will be supported on the lines by Lahsen Azgaou (as assistant referee 1), Mostafa Akarkad (as assistant referee 2), and Samir Guezzaz (as the fourth official), all from Morocco.

While Mandu Humphrey of Uganda has replaced South Africa’s David Junse Van Vuuren as Security Officer, Bernie Raymond Blom from The Netherlands has been appointed as the VAR official.

He will be supported by compatriot Rob Dieperink, with Athanse Nkubito from Rwanda appointed as the referee assessor.

Gregorio Badupa from Guinea-Bissau and Victor Lawrence Lual from South Sudan will play the roles of match commissioner and general coordinator respectively.

Second leg:

The second leg of the tie between Ghana and Nigeria will be staged in Abuja. Ahead of the game, FIFA has informed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that Senegalese retired referee Badara Diatta is to replace Essam Abdelfattah Abdelhamid as the referee assessor.

Tunisia official Sadok Selmi is retained as centre referee and will be assisted by Hassani of Tunisia as the assistant referee 1 and Attia Amsaaed of Libyan as the assistant referee 2.

The fourth official role has been handed to Haythem Guirat of Tunisia with Jérôme Brisard and Willy Louis Delajod appointed as VAR and assistant VAR respectively.

FIFA has handed the match commissioner role to Prince Kai Saquee of Sierra Leone with South Africa’s Kabelo Bosilong selected to play the role of general coordinator.