Ghead Grisha

Football’s world ruling body, FIFA, has appointed Egyptian Ghead Grisha as referee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Zambia’s Chipolopolo and Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Ndola on Sunday, 9 October 2016.

Grisha, 40, has been a FIFA referee since 2008. He will be assisted by fellow Egyptians Tahssen Abo El Sadat Bedyer (assistant referee 1), Ahmed Hossameldin Taha (assistant referee 2) and Ibrahim Noureldin (Fourth Official).

Also appointed is renown former FIFA referee Zeli Sinko (from Cote d’Ivoire), who will serve as referee assessor, while former Ghana FA president Mahamadu Nuru Deen Jawula will be match commissioner.

The match has been scheduled to kick off at the Levy Nwanawasa Stadium in Ndola at 2.30pm Zambia time (1.30pm Nigeria time) on Sunday, 9 October.

Grisha, incidentally, was in charge of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations group phase clash between the Super Eagles and the Chipolopolo, at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, which ended 1-1.

The Super Eagles went ahead to eventually win that Cup of Nations tournament.

FIFA has also appointed respected Nigerian official Paul Bassey to serve as security officer for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group E qualifier between Congo and Egypt, scheduled for the Stade de Kintele in Brazzaville on the same day.

Beninoise official Bruno Arthur Didavi will be match commissioner for that game, with the referees from Cote d’Ivoire led by Denis Dembele. Jason Joseph Damoo from Seychelles will serve as referee assessor

Meanwhile Nigerian official Sunday Okayi will be match commissioner for this weekend’s Nigeria 2016 CAF Beach Soccer Cup of Nations qualifying match between Ghana and Kenya in Accra.

Ghana’s Black Sharks humbled their Kenyan hosts 10-3 in the first leg played in Mombasa on August 27 and are favourites to scale through to the finals that will hold at the Eko Atlantic Beach 13-18 December 2016.

The other officials for the match in Accra are Mbokh Beyes (Senegal, referee); Youssouph Signate (Senegal, referee); Mohammad Ssentenza (Uganda, referee) and Hamdi Bchir (Tunisia, time keeper).

In other qualifying matches for Nigeria 2016, last year’s losing finalists Senegal host Cape Verde in the second leg in Dakar, after hammering their hosts 7-2 away in Sal Island on August 27. Cote d’Ivoire, semi finalists at the 2015 finals in Seychelles, also spanked Tanzania 7-3 away in Dar es Salaam in their first leg and are comfortable hosts in Abidjan this weekend.

Hosts Nigeria are already joined by Egypt, Libya and Morocco, who qualified after respective opponents Uganda, Liberia and Sudan withdrew.

The final slot at Nigeria 2016 will be taken by the winner of the fixture involving Mozambique and Madagascar.