World football-governing body, FIFA, has appointed Ivorian official, Noumandiez Doue, as referee for next month’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Kenya’s Harambee Stars in Nairobi.
In a brief on the match transmitted to the Nigeria Football Federation, FIFA named Doue,who became an international referee in 2004, alongside his compatriot, Songuifolo Yeo (Assistant Referee 1), Burundian Jean-Claude Birumushahu (Assistant Referee 2) and another Ivorian, Denis Dembele, to take charge of the game scheduled for June 5 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The same venue hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier between both countries, when the Super Eagles needed a win and also needed Mozambique to hold Tunisia in Maputo same day, to qualify for the show piece in South Africa.
In the event, the Eagles won 3-2 while Mozambique pipped Tunisia 1-0 in Maputo to send Nigeria to the World Cup finals.
Next month’s duel is no less important, with the Eagles only ahead of the Group F on goals difference (fromMalawi) and the Malawians to play two consecutive home matches while Nigeria play away consecutively.
Born Noumandiez Desire Doue in 1970, the Ivorian arbiter was at the centre when the Super Eagles defeated Rwanda 2-0 in a 2013 Cup of Nations qualifier in Calabar, Cross River State, 11 months ago and also when the Eagles drew 2-2 with Guinea’s Syli Nationale in Abuja on October 8, 2011 in a 2012 Cup of Nations qualifying game.
Yeo, who was also born in 1970, became an international assistant referee in 2004 while Burundian Birumushahu, 41, also became an international assistant referee in 2004.
Ivorian Dembele, the Fourth Official, is 35 and became an international referee four years ago.
FIFA also appointed renown Mauritanian, Idrissa Sarr, as the Referee Assessor while Mazen Marzouk from Egypt will be the Match Commissioner.
Wilhelmus van Rhee from The Netherlands will be the SecurityOfficer.
Sarr, a former FIFA-graded referee, was the centre referee for the final match of the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which Nigeria lost 0-1 to Cameroon.
Also in the same Day 4 series, former NFF General Secretary and Director of Federations and Elite Athletes Department in the National Sports Commission, Dr. BolajiOjo-Oba, will be the Security Officer for the clash between Libya and Democratic Republic of Congo in Tripoli on June7.
Nigerian Assistant Referee, Peter Elgam Edibe, who is on the line to be Nigeria’s first-ever arbiter at the FIFA World Cup finals, will be the Assistant Referee 2 for the clash between Benin Republic and Algeria’s Fennecs at the Stade
Charles De Gaulle in Porto Novo on June 9.
The centre referee for that match is Cameroonian Neant Alioum.
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