A 26-year old English Premier League referee, Michael Oliver, has been appointed to officiate Sunday’s (today) FIFA U-17 final between Nigeria and their Malian counterparts.
Oliver officiates primarily in the Premier League having been promoted to the Select Group of Referees in 2010.
Later that year, he became the youngest-ever referee to take charge of a Premier League game.
He is based in Cramlington, Northumberland and is a member of the Northumberland Football Association.
Oliver would be assisted by his countrymen, Stuart Burt and Gary Beswick, as assistant referee 1 and 2, while Ricardo Montero from Costa Rica is the fourth official.
The tie, slated for Estadio SausalitoVina Del Mar, will kick off at 11pm Nigerian time.
While Nigeria hold a clear lead in the head-to-head record between the two nations’ senior sides with four wins, three draws and just one defeat to their name, Mali have the edge when it comes to youth football.
When hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1999, the Golden Eaglets were forced to throw in the towel in the quarter-finals as the Les Aiglonnets beat them 3-1.
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