UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers (Matchday 9, Part 2)

9 October 2015

Macedonia – Ukraine
Referee: Ovidiu Haţegan (ROU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Octavian Sovre (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU)
Additional AR 1: Alexandru Tudor (ROU)
Additional AR 2: Sebastian Colţescu (ROU)
Fourth Official: Radu Ghinguleac (ROU)
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef (NED)

Slovakia – Belarus
Referee: Hüseyin Göçek (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Mustafa Eyisoy (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Orkun Aktaş (TUR)
Additional AR 1: Ali Palabıyık (TUR)
Additional AR 2: Hakan Ceylan (TUR)
Fourth Official: Serkan Ok (TUR)
Referee Observer: Peter Fröjdfeldt (SWE)

Spain – Luxembourg
Referee: Sébastien Delferiere (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Yves De Neve (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen (BEL)
Additional AR 1: Jonathan Lardot (BEL)
Additional AR 2: Erik Lambrechts (BEL)
Fourth Official: Danny Huens (BEL)
Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu (ROU)

England – Estonia
Referee: István Vad (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: István Albert (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: László Viszokai (HUN)
Additional AR 1: Sándor Andó-Szabó (HUN)
Additional AR 2: József Erdos (HUN)
Fourth Official: Zsolt Varga (HUN)
Referee Observer: Morgan Norman (SWE)

Slovenia – Lithuania
Referee: Björn Kuipers (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Sander van Roekel (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Erwin Zeinstra (NED)
Additional AR 1: Pol van Bekel (NED)
Additional AR 2: Richard Liesveld (NED)
Fourth Official: Davie Goosens (NED)
Referee Observer: Manuel Díaz Vega (ESP)

Switzerland – San Marino
Referee: Mattias Gestranius (FIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mikko Alakare (FIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan-Peter Aravirta (FIN)
Additional AR 1: Dennis Antamo (FIN)
Additional AR 2: Petteri Kari (FIN)
Fourth Official: Jukka Honkanen (FIN)
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold (NOR)

Liechtenstein – Sweden
Referee: Liran Liany (ISR)
Assistant Referee 1: David Bitton (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Nissan Davidy (ISR)
Additional AR 1: Orel Grinfeeld (ISR)
Additional AR 2: Eli Hacmon (ISR)
Fourth Official: Oren Bornshtain (ISR)
Referee Observer: Alan Snoddy (NIR)

Moldova – Russia
Referee: Michael Koukoulakis (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexandros Grevenis (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Chrysoula Kourompylia (GRE)
Additional AR 1: Athanasios Giachos (GRE)
Additional AR 2: Andreas Pappas (GRE)
Fourth Official: Christos Baltas (GRE)
Referee Observer: Plarent Kotherja (ALB)

Montenegro – Austria
Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Lorenzo Manganelli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Riccardo Di Fiore (ITA)
Additional AR 1: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Additional AR 2: Andrea Gervasoni (ITA)
Fourth Official: Andrea Marzaloni (ITA)
Referee Observer: Michael Riley (ENG)

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers (Matchday 9, Part 1)

8 October 2015

Albania – Serbia
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (ITA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Elenito Di Liberatore (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mauro Tonolini (ITA)
Additional AR 1: Luca Banti (ITA)
Additional AR 2: Antonio Damato (ITA)
Fourth Official: Andrea Padovan (ITA)
Referee Observer: Juan Fernández Marin (ESP)

Georgia – Gibraltar
Referee: Sergii Boiko (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandr Voytuk (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Oleg Pluzhnyk (UKR)
Additional AR 1: Anatoliy Abdula (UKR)
Additional AR 2: Sergiy Berezka (UKR)
Fourth Official: Sergii Bekker (UKR)
Referee Observer: Kuddusi Müftüoglu (TUR)

Ireland – Germany
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernández (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste Jiménez (ESP)
Additional AR 1: Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP)
Additional AR 2: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Fourth Official: Marcos Álvarez Moreno (ESP)
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs (SUI)

Scotland – Poland
Referee: Viktor Kassai (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: György Ring (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Vencel Toth (HUN)
Additional AR 1: Tamás Bognar (HUN)
Additional AR 2: Ádam Farkas (HUN)
Fourth Official: Peter Berettyán (HUN)
Referee Observer: Bertrand Layec (FRA)

Hungary – Faroe Islands
Referee: Robert Schörgenhofer (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximilian Kolbitsch (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Matthias Winsaeur (AUT)
Additional AR 1: Harald Lechner (AUT)
Additional AR 2: Dominik Ouschan (AUT)
Fourth Official: Richard Huebler (AUT)
Referee Observer: Kaj Østergaard (DEN)

Northern Ireland – Greece
Referee: Bas Nijhuis (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Rob Van de Ven (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Charles Schaap (NED)
Additional AR 1: Kevin Blom (NED)
Additional AR 2: Ed Janssen (NED)
Fourth Official: Bas Van Dongen (NED)
Referee Observer: Fritz Stuchlik (AUT)

Romania – Finland
Referee: Craig Thomson (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: William Conquer (SCO)
Additional AR 1: Steven McLean (SCO)
Additional AR 2: Andrew Dallas (SCO)
Fourth Official: Douglas Ross (SCO)
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni (ITA)

Portugal – Denmark
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Beck (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Jake Collin (ENG)
Additional AR 1: Andre Marriner (ENG)
Additional AR 2: Jonathan Moss (ENG)
Fourth Official: John Brooks (ENG)
Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo (ESP)

Friendly
France – Armenia
Referee: Slavko Vinčič (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Ul (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)
Additional AR 1: Mitja Žganec (SVN)
Additional AR 2: Roberto Ponis (SVN)
Fourth Official: Andraž Kovačič (SVN)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 1, First Leg)

8-10 October 2015

Eritrea – Botswana
Referee: Ibrahim Nour El Din (EGY, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ayman Degaish (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Abou (EGY)
Fourth Official: Mahmoud Bassiouny (EGY)

Tanzania – Malawi
Referee: Hagi Wiish (SOM)
Assistant Referee 1: Hamza Abdi (SOM)
Assistant Referee 2: Salah Omar (SOM)
Fourth Official: Bashir Olad (SOM)

Comoros – Lesotho
Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (MAD)
Assistant Referee 1: Pierre Andrivoavonjy (MAD)
Assistant Referee 2: Lionel Hasinjarasoa (MAD)
Fourth Official: Abdoul Kanoso (MAD)

Seychelles – Burundi
Referee: Lemma Nigussie (ETH)
Assistant Referee 1: Temesgin Samuel (ETH)
Assistant Referee 2: Shewangizaw Tadesse (ETH)
Fourth Official: Haileyesus Bazezew (ETH)

Mauritius – Kenya
Referee: Duncan Lengani (MWI)
Assistant Referee 1: Clemence Kanduku (MWI)
Assistant Referee 2: Innocent Kaundula (MWI)
Fourth Official: Patrick Ngoleka (MWI)

Sao Tome – Ethiopia
Referee: Alhadi Mahamat (CHA)
Assistant Referee 1: Issa Yaya (CHA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kriga Abdoulaye (CHA)
Fourth Official: Francois Ahmat (CHA)

Liberia – Guinea Bissau
Referee: Fabricio Duarte (CPV)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Pina (CPV)
Assistant Referee 2: Albertino Lopes (CPV)
Fourth Official: Antonio Rodrigues (CPV)

South Sudan – Mauritania
Referee: Rajab Bakasambe (UGA)
Assistant Referee 1: Hussein Bugembe (UGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Samuel Kayondo (UGA)
Fourth Official: Brian Miiro (UGA)

Somalia – Niger
Referee: Haithem Kossai (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Bitouta (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Faouzi Jridi (TUN)
Fourth Official: Slim Belkhouas (TUN)

Gambia – Namibia
Referee: Ousmane Karembe (MLI)
Assistant Referee 1: Nouhoum Bamba (MLI)
Assistant Referee 2: Fousseyni Traore (MLI)
Fourth Official: Ousmane Sidibe (MLI)

Djibouti – Swaziland
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (BDI)
Assistant Referee 1: Pascal Ndimunzigo (BDI)
Assistant Referee 2: Gustave Baguma (BDI)
Fourth Official: Eric Gasinzigwa (BDI)

Central Africa – Madagascar
Referee: Ndala Ngambo (COD)
Assistant Referee 1: Olivier Safari (COD)
Assistant Referee 2: Freddy Mputu (COD)
Fourth Official: Kabanga Malala (COD)

Chad – Sierra Leone
Referee: Kokou Fagla (TOG)
Assistant Referee 1: Cherif Banna (TOG)
Assistant Referee 2: Kokouvi Tonou (TOG)
Fourth Official: Kokou Ntale (TOG)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 2, Matchday 5)

8 October 2015

Syria – Japan
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (UZB, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Abduxamidullo Rasulov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Jakhongir Saidov (UZB)
Fourth Official: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)

Bahrain – Uzbekistan
Referee: Minoru Tojo (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Toshiyuki Nagi (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Shinji Ochi (JPN)
Fourth Official: Mizanur Rahman (BAN)

Kuwait – Korea
Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammadreza Abolfazli (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Saeid Alinezhadian (IRN)
Fourth Official: Omar Al Yaqoubi (OMA)

Timor – Palestine
Referee: Kim Dong Jin (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Jeong Hae-Sang (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Park Sangjun (KOR)
Fourth Official: Thant Zin Oo (MYA)

Korea DPR – Philippines
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Huo Weiming (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Ma Ji (CHN)
Fourth Official: Wang Zhe (CHN)

Myanmar – Lebanon
Referee: Mohd Abdul Wahab (MAS)
Assistant Referee 1: Sivanesan Muniady (MAS)
Assistant Referee 2: Binla Preeda (THA)
Fourth Official: Alongkron Feemuechang (THA)

Singapore – Afghanistan
Referee: Ng Chiu Kok (HKG)
Assistant Referee 1: Cheng Oi Cho (HKG)
Assistant Referee 2: Fok Pong Shing (HKG)
Fourth Official: Lau Fong Hei (HKG)

Vietnam – Iraq
Referee: Chris Beath (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathew Cheeseman (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Ashley Beecham (AUS)
Fourth Official: Vichhika Tuy (CAM)

Bhutan – Maldives
Referee: Tayab Shamsuzzaman (BAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Ferdous Ahamed (BAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Manir Dhali (BAN)
Fourth Official: Mohammed Uddin (BAN)

Turkmenistan – India
Referee: Masoud Tufaylieh (SYR)
Assistant Referee 1: Zakariya Kanat (SYR)
Assistant Referee 2: Ali Ahmad (SYR)
Fourth Official: Hanna Hattab (SYR)

Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Reza Sokhandan (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammadreza Mansouri (IRN)
Fourth Official: Bijan Heidari (IRN)

Jordan – Australia
Referee: Masaaki Toma (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Haruhiro Otsuka (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Toshiyuki Tanaka (JPN)
Fourth Official: Hasan Akrami (IRN)

Oman – Iran
Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Mamur Saidkasimov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Husniddin Shodmonov (UZB)
Fourth Official: Sherzod Kasimov (UZB)

Qatar – China
Referee: Ko Hyung-Jin (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Choi Min-Byoung (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Yang Byoung Eun (KOR)
Fourth Official: Mohammad Arafah (JOR)

Saudi Arabia – UAE
Referee: Muhammad Jahari (SIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Gek Jeffrey Goh (SIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Edwin Liang Lee (SIN)
Fourth Official: Farhad Bin Mohamed (SIN)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 1)

8 October 2015

Bolivia – Uruguay
Referee: Patricio Loustau (ARG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ezequiel Brailovksy (ARG)
Fourth Official: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
Referee Observer: Manuel Yupanqui (PER)

Colombia – Peru
Referee: Antonio Arias (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Dario Gaona (PAR)
Fourth Official: Julio Quintana (PAR)
Referee Observer: Guido Aros (CHI)

Chile – Brazil
Referee: Roddy Zambrano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Byron Romero (ECU)
Fourth Official: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
Referee Observer: Carlos Coradina (ARG)

Venezuela – Paraguay
Referee: Jose Buitrago (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Humberto Clavijo (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Eduardo Diaz (COL)
Fourth Official: Adrian Velez (COL)
Referee Observer: Rogger Zambrano (ECU)

Argentina – Ecuador
Referee: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Marcelo Barraza (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Raul Orellana (CHI)
Fourth Official: Jorge Osorio (CHI) 

Referee Observer: Jorge Larrionda (URU)

CONCACAF Cup 2015: Aguilar (SLV)

Referee Joel Aguilar of El Salvador has been tasked with refereeing the CONCACAF Cup clash USA – Mexico, on October 10, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Reportedly joining him to make up the rest of officiating crew for the game are compatriots Juan Zumba as an assistant referee and Marlon Mejia as the fourth official. Costa Rican Leonel Leal will be the other assistant referee.

Aguilar, age 40, boasts a bevy of international officiating experience. He recently was in charge of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup final between Mexico and Jamaica, and has also refereed games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, and more. He also was the head official for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final between the USA and Panama, and the Americans' unforgettable World Cup qualifier played in blizzard-like conditions in 2013 against Costa Rica.

The US and Mexico will square off in a highly anticipated match that will determine which CONCACAF nation advances to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. The Americans secured passage to the game by winning the Gold Cup two years ago, while Mexico reached it by coming out victorious in this past summer's edition of the regional tournament.

Source: MLS / El Grafico

Webb talks about big decisions and bias accusations

Former World Cup final referee Howard Webb believes match officials need to be given a platform to explain their controversial decisions, but he has told ESPN FC that his suggestions were dismissed by the organisation in charge of referees in English football. Webb, who took charge of both the World Cup final and the Champions League final in 2010, took up a role with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) following his retirement from the game in August 2014, yet his desire to create a more public face for referees has been rejected. Now working as an analyst with BT Sport, Webb has given an exclusive insight into accusations of bias during his career, Jose Mourinho's "campaign" against Chelsea criticism and the future of officiating.

- Should referees be given a chance to explain their decisions in a more public forum?

- I firmly believe there is a place for a voice to provide some clarity on big issues in the game. The challenge is finding a way to present the case in a setting that does not just lead to a referee appearing on TV and being criticised for mistakes they may have made. There is a need to humanise referees, to show what it is like to make big decisions in the face of huge pressure.

- Should a referee talk to the media after a game and explain their thoughts on the big decisions?

- Appearing on TV after each game may not be the best way to do it. Match officials will make mistakes, but explaining why they might have been made can help to diffuse the situation. It would also be nice to show that referees do care if they make a mistake.

- Why would standing before a camera not be the best way to present a human side to refereeing, which you suggest is needed?

- Pretty much everyone involved makes errors in every match, but the credibility of an official would be damaged if they apologised one week and then made another error the next. Also, would TV companies want to speak to referees after they have had an excellent game? Probably not. The perceived mistakes and controversial incidents would be focused on and that may not present a balanced argument.

- Would current Premier League referees like to have chance to explain the decisions they have made?

- I think they would. I was working with referee Paul Durkin many years ago when he went on TV and explained why he had missed a clear penalty in a match between Manchester United and Newcastle. Gary Neville served up a terrible back pass and Paul was well out of position as a result. The referee was not in position to give the penalty and when he explained that after the game on TV, the reaction was so positive. To do that now, you would need to get clearance from PGMOL and that is why we don't see referees commenting on decisions.

- Should referees have a more prominent spokesperson to offer opinions on their behalf?

- That could be a way around this. In my year with PGMOL, I was working with the media privately and trying to explain why decisions were being made, to offer some perspective to pundits and analysts. I was not there to change opinions, just to chat through a few ideas on why a decision was made. Often our discussions did lead to a more balanced argument being presented.

- Why did the public not know you were doing this work with the media last season?

- I don't know why it was kept so secretive. I was at the BBC studios in Salford most Saturday afternoons talking to pundits before they presented Match of the Day (a Premier League highlights show) that evening. We had a chat for 15 minutes on the key talking points of the day and hopefully that helped to offer some insight into why a decision had been made. Conveying a message from a referee through members of the media may be an idea for the future.

- How did you feel when you realised you had made a mistake that changed the outcome of a big game?

- Very low. A referee tends to develop a sense for understanding reactions of players and you realise quickly if you have got something wrong. When this happens, it is vital that you don't cave in, or allow it to affect your judgement on the next big call. Also, the idea of balancing it out by giving the unfortunate team a decision in their favour cannot be considered. That merely means you are making two mistakes and compounding the situation.

- How did you deal with criticism from fans and the perception that you were biased against their team?

- It was the biggest annoyance for me as a referee. Everyone loves a conspiracy theory but the idea that any decision is made with a sinister undertone could not be further from the truth. Human nature means errors are made and will always be made - that is part of the game. The notion that bias against certain teams is in play is quite ridiculous.

- So how would you reflect on Jose Mourinho's suggestion last season that there was a "campaign" against Chelsea from referees?

- I can't believe he thought that was true. Do you think Martin Atkinson - who was singled out for criticism by Mourinho last season - turns up for a game thinking: 'I am just here to piss Chelsea off today?' Do you think any official wants a few days of abuse and negative headlines if they have a bad game? Of course not, it was a silly suggestion.

Source: ESPN

Changes in AFC refereeing

A series of proposals were approved by the recently appointed Asian Football Confederation Referees Committee. Having underlined how Asian referees continue to shine on the global stage, Committee Chairman Zhang Jilong (China) welcomed Deputy Chairman Hany Ballan Safar (Qatar) as well as members Abdulrahman Al Delawar (Bahrain), Cheung Yim Yau (Hong Kong), Goutam Kar (India), Toru Kamikawa (Japan), Kim Joo Sung (Korea Republic), Saad Al Fadhi (Kuwait), Ali Al Traifi (Saudi Arabia), Ali Hamed Al Badwawi (United Arab Emirates), Farkhad Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) and advisor Gen. Farouk Bouzo (Syria) to AFC House in the Malaysian capital.

The Committee went on to recommend that the current age limit (45 on January 1) for Referees and Assistant Referees, Futsal Referees (both Men and Women) and the AFC Referring Panel for Beach Soccer be repealed. The age limit (60 on January 1) for Referee Instructors/Assessors, Futsal Referee Instructors and Beach Soccer Referee Instructors was also repealed.

New recruiting systems for AFC Assistant Referees (Men and Women), Futsal Referees (Women) and Beach Soccer Referees were also approved in principal, as was the discontinuation of a fitness test for officials who arrive three – or fewer – days before the start of centralised tournaments. The Committee also approved the proposal to alter the method for testing the fitness levels of AFC Referees (Men & Women) by changing from a ‘High Intensity Test’ to a ‘Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1’. From December 2015, AFC Futsal Referee (Men & Women) will also see their ‘1000 Metre Running Test’ changed to the Modified Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Test Level 2.

The recommendations will be presented to the AFC’s Executive Committee at its next meeting on November 27 in New Delhi, India.

Source: AFC

CAF Champions League – Semi-finals (Second Leg)

3-4 October 2015

TP Mazembe – El Merreikh
Referee: Eric Otogo Castane (GAB, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Songuifolo Yeo (CIV)
Assistant Referee 2: Theophile Vinga (GAB)

USM Alger – El Hilal
Referee: Victor Gomes (RSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela (RSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Thembisile Windvoel (RSA)

CAF Confederation Cup – Semi-finals (Second Leg)

3-4 October 2015

Zamalek SC – Etoile du Sahel
Referee: Bakary Gassama (GAM, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jean C. Birumushahu (BDI)
Assistant Referee 2: Yahaya Mahamadou (NIG)

El Ahly – Orlando Pirates
Referee: Mehdi Abid-Charef (ALG)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)