World Cup Referees Narrowed to 15: African Officials Stand Out
Out of the initial 33 referees selected for the World Cup—25 regular referees and 8 substitutes—only 15 remain in the tournament.
Among those continuing are two Africans: Ivorian Noumandiez Doue and Algerian Djamel Haimoudi. Despite Africa’s early exit from the competition after Nigeria and Algeria were eliminated in the round of 16, these two referees have upheld the continent’s presence with strong performances in Brazil.
Also still officiating is Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura, who drew criticism after awarding a controversial penalty to Brazil in the tournament opener.
