Gambia referee appointed for Nigeria’s match against Algeria

The world football governing body, FIFA, has named Gambia’s Bakary Gassama, as the centre referee for Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Algeria.


The match is scheduled for November 12 and will be played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Gassama will be assisted by Jean-Claude Birumushahu from Burundi (first assistant referee), while Marwa Range from Kenya will be the second assistant referee.

Maudo Jallow from Gambia will act as the fourth official.

Gabonese Jean-Olivier Mbera will be the referee’s assessor. Ghanaian Anthony Baffoe will be the match commissioner and Nicholas Chumba Musonye from Kenya as security officer.

Gassama has been a FIFA referee since 2008. The 37-year-old has also been appointed the center referee for this year’s CAF Champions League final, second leg clash between Zamalek and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) director of competitions, Bola Oyeyode, has confirmed that the match will kick off by 5pm Nigerian time.

“The information we sent to Fifa was that we wanted the match to start at 5pm; we were surprised when the match appointment was released and the kickoff time was set at 5.30pm,” Oyeyode told NFF’s website.

“The NFF immediately protested and eventually, on Wednesday morning, FIFA agreed that the match will start at 5pm.”