Issa Sy among13 African referees named for historic FIFA Club World Cup 2025

BY Nuhu Adams
April 14, 2025
0 Comments
81 Views

Thirteen African match officials have been appointed to officiate at the first-ever 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States from 14 June to 13 July 2025.

FIFA confirmed that a total of 117 match officials, including 35 referees, 58 assistant referees, and 24 video match officials, have been selected from 41 member associations around the world. Among them are 13 high-profile officials from across the African continent.

The tournament marks a new era for global club football, with FIFA expanding the competition for the first time and introducing several refereeing innovations.

These include the trial use of body-worn cameras on referees, offering fans a unique view of the game through broadcast partner DAZN.

Africa’s strong representation includes officials from Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, Kenya, DR Congo, Angola, Mauritania, and Libya.

Some of the names are familiar faces at major FIFA and CAF competitions, including Algeria’s Mustapha Ghorbal, Senegal’s Issa Sy, and DR Congo’s Jean Jacques Ndala.

The selection process followed intensive global assessments and training, including cross-confederation seminars aimed at promoting consistency and uniformity in decision-making ahead of the tournament.

FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina emphasised the honour of being selected for a historic edition of the competition:

“It’s a privilege to be part of the first edition of a global tournament. The bar has been raised in recent FIFA events, and our officials are expected to maintain these high standards.”

The tournament will also see the application of new game management rules, including a revised regulation where goalkeepers who hold the ball for more than eight seconds will concede a corner kick, replacing the traditional indirect free-kick punishment.

The appointment of African officials follows a consistent trend of the continent producing high-quality referees who are increasingly trusted on the global stage. Their inclusion at this landmark competition signals further recognition of CAF’s strides in officiating development.

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is expected to attract global attention as the top club sides from each continent compete over a month-long schedule in 12 stadiums across 11 American cities.