SEVEN AFRICAN REFEREES SELECTED FOR WORLD CUP 2026 AS NDALA AND ISSA SY MISS OUT
— Mary Ene
FIFA has named seven African referees for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Algeria's Mustapha Ghorbal leads the group as a three-time World Cup referee, while Somalia's Omar Artan makes history on debut. However, DR Congo's Jean-Jacques Ndala is axed following his disastrous handling of the AFC…
FIFA has officially confirmed seven African referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 — but the announcement came with major drama as two of the continent's most prominent officials were left out.
The selected referees are Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Amin Mohamed (Egypt), Pierre Atcho (Gabon), Jalal Jayed (Morocco), Dahane Beida (Mauritania), Tom Abongile (South Africa), and Omar Artan (Somalia).
Leading the group is Algeria's Mustapha Ghorbal, the most experienced African referee at the tournament. Ghorbal stands out as the most experienced, having previously officiated at both the 2018 and 2022 editions of the tournament, bringing valuable continuity and expertise to the African delegation. At the other end of the experience scale, Omar Artan of Somalia will be making his FIFA World Cup debut, marking a significant milestone both personally and for Somali football.
FIFA's Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina made it clear that these selections were the result of a three-year "quality over quantity" program, where the selected officials attended elite seminars and were assessed in both domestic and international matches.
However, the announcement was overshadowed by two notable exclusions. DR Congo's Jean-Jacques Ndala and Senegal's Issa Sy — both of whom were involved in high-profile controversies during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and other CAF competitions — are absent from the list.
Ndala's exclusion is directly linked to the most controversial match in recent African football history. In the AFCON 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal, Ndala disallowed a Senegalese goal after a foul in the build-up, and moments later a VAR review led him to award Morocco a penalty. The decisions sparked protests from Senegal's players, who briefly walked off the pitch before returning.
Despite CAF officially clearing Ndala of any professional wrongdoing in January, FIFA took a different stance and excluded him from its final World Cup refereeing list. Issa Sy's omission is equally significant.
The Senegalese referee sparked widespread controversy after the CAF Champions League quarter-final between Espérance and Al Ahly, when he reached into his pocket at the final whistle, pulled out a red card, and held it in the air without showing it to any player — a bizarre moment that went viral and damaged his standing with FIFA.
He had also refereed the contentious Nigeria vs Algeria AFCON quarter-final.
The 2026 World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico (Africasoccer) , and Africa's seven referees will now begin specialized preparations for the tournament.
The presence of seven referees reflects Africa's increasing credibility in officiating, as the continent prepares to play a key role not only through its teams but also through its match officials at the 2026 global showpiece. But the exclusion of Ndala and Sy is a stark reminder that at the highest level, one bad night or one controversial moment can cost you the biggest stage in football.
SEVEN AFRICAN REFEREES SELECTED FOR WORLD CUP 2026 AS NDALA AND ISSA SY MISS OUT