According to exeweb.com, the Gambian will serve as fourth official to central referee Djamel Haimoud of Algeria while Morroco’s Redoune Achik and another Algerian Abdelhak Etchaili will act as assistants on the pitch in the match taking place at the Estdaio Beira in the city of Porto Alegre.
Contacted for professional analysis of this development, veteran referee Alhaji Faye who worked at major tournaments for Fifa and Caf said: “This in itself is a first time in Gambian history,”. He said he has no doubt that the Gambian will be handed a central role sometime in the second round of the tourney if not earlier.
Faye also observed that a number of refereeing decisions have raised talking points even at this early stage of the World Cup but that the African ones have done pretty well adding that he is sure Papa will be among the leading lights for Africa in this elite global football tourney.
By Lamin Cham
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