Ruiz: “Yellow, red or nothing?”

A heavy silence greets this question while a TV screen shows footage of a Croatian defender hitting Brazilian full-back Marcelo with an ankle-high challenge during the Opening Match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Oscar Ruiz is not deterred, though: "Yellow or red? Let me play the incident again!" 
The scene marks the beginning of the meeting with the Colombia U-20 squad and coaching staff, during which the former international referee will run through contentious incidents with his compatriots so as to educate the players about how officials apply the Laws of the Game. To start with, the atmosphere is hushed, constrained by the youngsters' shyness. This is nothing new: ever since FIFA introduced these now regular pre-tournament get-togethers ahead of Germany 2006, the players - especially the younger ones - have always taken a little while to get into the mood. But by three or four incident discussions later, a healthy debate has been struck up, albeit the expert takes the lead and always has the last word. Joining Ruiz in spreading the refereeing gospel to the 24 teams in New Zealand are several former colleagues: England's Howard Webb, New Zealander Mike Hester, the Irianian-American Esse Baharmast, the Tunisian Neji Jouini, the Italian Alfredo Trentalange, Denmark's Peter Mikkelsen, Alfredo Whittaker of the Cayman Islands, and Malaysia's Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh. 
After once again replaying the images of Marcelo writhing in pain, Ruiz references the previous day's action to try to spark a reaction from the players. "Yellow or red or nothing? I asked the Argentina players the same question and the forwards think one thing and the defenders another. It's amazing how your mindset changes based on where you play." Some faint muttering is heard, the word "nothing" uttered sheepishly and almost apologetically. And indeed it turns out that this is the wrong answer. "People who say nothing... well, when they're on the receiving end of a challenge like this one, they change their tune," Ruiz remarks light-heartedly, yet firmly. "If it's even 10 centimetres higher, a tackle like this one can break a tendon or bone. It's a yellow-card offence and if it were 10 centimetres higher, it'd be a red". 
When the screen displays a reckless lunge from another Croatian, Ante Rebic, on Mexico's Carlos Pena, a collective gasp fills the room. The youngsters can feel Pena's pain. There is no doubt this time: it is a clear-cut sending-off. The incident seems too obvious to warrant any discussion, but Ruiz soon explains why he chose it. The meeting is not only about helping players to understand disciplinary decisions and rules, but also about making them more aware of the possible consequences of their actions. In his words: "It's a dangerous tackle, it puts the [other] player's body at risk". 
The ice has been broken now and, after a short break, the players well and truly warm to the task. Some may still be sporting gloves, and others hats that almost cover their eyes, to ward off the cold in Hamilton, but their body language has been transformed. Following some lively back and forth about "tactical fouls", we get to a subject that never fails to elicit strong responses, whether among the Real Madrid squad or Colombia's U-20s: hand-balls in the area. "He closed his eyes!" yells one player, sticking up for a fellow defender. "But he stopped the ball from getting through!" retorts an attacking midfielder. "Given the way he slid out, with his feet first, it's a natural way for him to fall," another centre-back muses. Ruiz listens and smiles. The different criteria used by players in different positions are laid bare, while impromptu groups of three or four are formed, each debating whether or not it is a hand ball and if so, whether it warrants a red or yellow card. The incident in question comes from a Manchester City match, in which a defender goes to ground to cut out a cross, his arm fully outstretched behind him as he slides along the grass. As it happens, the ball, which is headed into the middle of the box, strikes not his feet, but his hand. Ruiz poses a question and proceeds to answer it himself in emphatic fashion: "The Panama team doctor told me yesterday that the position the defender is in is not a natural one for his body. It's a penalty." 
Further incidents follow until we reach the biggest flashpoint, one that resonates specially with this group: Mario Yepes's disallowed goal during Colombia's game against Brazil in last year's World Cup quarter-finals. The whole country was left up in arms about this decision by Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo. Ruiz has touched a raw nerve and he knows it. He replays the incident once, twice, three times. The former official foregrounds the offside in the build-up and spells out why the Colombia players involved were clearly interfering with play. "As Colombians, it really hit home for all of us," Cafeteritos coach Carlos Restrepo told FIFA.com afterwards. "That's what emotion does: many of us thought the goal was valid and now we know it wasn't," he noted, before revealing a nugget that epitomises the point of the whole exercise: his players later took to social media to explain that the goal had been rightly chalked off, even trying to persuade their friends back home who begged to differ. "I think this is a really good idea," Restrepo added. "Players often play without a full understanding of the game and we [coaches] come up short because of a lack of knowledge of certain aspects of refereeing. It was a really good way to address concerns". The hearty round of applause the players gave Ruiz at the end says it all. 

Source: FIFA

UEFA Europa League – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

26 November 2015

AS Monaco – Anderlecht
Referee: Manuel Gräfe (GER, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mike Pickel (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Holger Henschel (GER)
Additional AR 1: Robert Hartmann (GER)
Additional AR 2: Benjamin Brand (GER)
Fourth Official: Frank Willenborg (GER)
Referee Observer: Haim Jakov (ISR)

Qarabağ – Tottenham
Referee: Anastasios Sdiropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Damians Efthymiadis (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Polychronis Kostaras (GRE)
Additional AR 1: Michael Koukoulakis (GRE)
Additional AR 2: Stavros Tritsonis (GRE)
Fourth Official: Lazaros Dimitriadis (GRE)
Referee Observer: Yuri Baskakov (RUS)

Dinamo Minsk – Viktoria Plzeň
Referee: Ognjen Valjić (BIH)
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrisimbegović (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo (BIH)
Additional AR 1: Edin Jakupović (BIH)
Additional AR 2: Irfan Peljto (BIH)
Fourth Official: Sreten Udovičić (BIH)
Referee Observer: László Vágner (HUN)

Rubin Kazan – Sion
Referee: Halis Özkahya (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Cem Satman (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Kemal Yılmaz (TUR)
Additional AR 1: Ali Palabıyık (TUR)
Additional AR 2: Alper Ulusoy (TUR)
Fourth Official: Ceyhun Sesigüzel (TUR)
Referee Observer: Zbigniew Przesmycki (POL)

Krasnodar – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (NED)
Assistant Referee 1:  Bas van Dongen (NED)
Assistant Referee 2:  Dave Goossens (NED)
Additional AR 1: Dennis Highler (NED)
Additional AR 2: Jeroen Manschot (NED)
Fourth Official: Angelo Boonman (NED)
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk (EST)

SS Lazio – Dnipro
Referee: Gediminas Mažeika (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vyautas Šimkus (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2:  Vytenis Kazlauskas (LTU)
Additional AR 1: Nerijus Dunauskas (LTU)
Additional AR 2: Sergejus Slyva (LTU)
Fourth Official: Dovydas Sužiedėlis (LTU)
Referee Observer: Alan Freeland (SCO)

Rosenborg – Saint Étienne
Referee: Vitali Meshkov (RUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Igor Demeshko (RUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Maxim Gavrilin (RUS)
Additional AR 1: Alexei Nikolaev (RUS)
Additional AR 2: Mikhail Vilkov (RUS)
Fourth Official: Dmitri Mosiakin (RUS)
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine (NIR)

Lokomotiv Moskva – Sporting CP
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrián Devís (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Javier Aguilar Rodríguez (ESP)
Additional AR 1: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (ESP)
Additional AR 2: Juan Martínez Munuera (ESP)
Fourth Official: Teodoro Sobrino Magán (ESP)
Referee Observer: Jan Fasung (SVK)

Beşiktaş – Skënderbeu
Referee: Paweł Gil (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Piotr Sadczuk (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcin Borkowski (POL)
Additional AR 1: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)
Additional AR 2: Krzysztof Jakubik (POL)
Fourth Official: Konrad Sapela (POL)
Referee Observer: Miroslav Liba (CZE)

Basel – Fiorentina
Referee: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Balko (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Ondrej Brendza (SVK)
Additional AR 1: Vladimir Vnuk (SVK)
Additional AR 2: Mario Vlk (SVK)
Fourth Official: Tomas Somolani (SVK)
Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn (GER)

Belenenses – Lech
Referee: Arnold Hunter (NIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Storey (NIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gareth Eakin (NIR)
Additional AR 1: Raymond Crangle (NIR)
Additional AR 2: Mervyn Smyth (NIR)
Fourth Official: Stephen Bell (NIR)
Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA)

Schalke – Apoel
Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Fredrik Nilsson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Joakim Flink (SWE)
Additional AR 1: Michael Lerjéus (SWE)
Additional AR 2: Bojan Pandžić (SWE)
Fourth Official: Magnus Sjöblom (SWE)
Referee Observer: Vítor Melo Pereira (POR)

Sparta Praha – Asteras
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gary Beswick (ENG)
Additional AR 1: Paul Tierney (ENG)
Additional AR 2: Craig Pawson (ENG)
Fourth Official: Lee Betts (ENG)
Referee Observer: Stefano Farina (ITA)

Alkmaar – Partizan
Referee: Harald Lechner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Staudinger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Heidenreich (AUT)
Additional AR 1: Alexander Harkam (AUT)
Additional AR 2: Julian Weinberger (AUT)
Fourth Official: Maxiliam Kolbitsch (AUT)
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann (SUI)

Augsburg – Athletic
Referee: Artur Dias (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Soares (POR)
Additional AR 1: Miguel Moreira (POR)
Additional AR 2: Cosme Machado (POR)
Fourth Official: Bruno Rodrigues (POR) 
Referee Observer: Nikolai Levnikov (RUS)

Legia – Midtjylland
Referee: Andre Marriner (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Mullarkey (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: John Brooks (ENG)
Additional AR 1: Lee Mason (ENG)
Additional AR 2: Robert Madley (ENG)
Fourth Official: Michael Salisbury (ENG)
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman (NED)

Club Brugge – SSC Napoli
Referee: Marius Avram (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Miklós Nagy (ROU)
Additional AR 1: István Kovács (ROU)
Additional AR 2: Radu Petrescu (ROU)
Fourth Official: Sebastian Gheorghe (ROU)
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz (AUT)

PAOK – Qabala
Referee: Jakob Kehlet (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Henrik Larsen (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Lars Rix (DEN)
Additional AR 1: Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen (DEN)
Additional AR 2: Peter Kjaesgaard-Andersen (DEN)
Fourth Official: Lars Hummelgaard (DEN)
Referee Observer: William Young (SCO)

Braga – Slovan Liberec
Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov (BLR)
Assistant Referee 1: Vitali Maliutsin (BLR)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleh Maslianka (BLR)
Additional AR 1: Siarhei Tsynkevich (BLR)
Additional AR 2: Dzianis Shcharbakou (BLR) 
Fourth Official: Dmitry Zhuk (BLR)
Referee Observer: Christos Skapoullis (CYP)

Olympique Marseille – Groningen
Referee: Andris Treimanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjonnikovs (LVA)
Additional AR 1: Aleksandrs Anufrijevs (LVA)
Additional AR 2: Aleksandrs Golubevs (LVA)
Fourth Official: Raimonds Tatriks (LVA)
Referee Observer: Manuel Mejuto González (ESP)

Molde – Fenerbahçe
Referee: Miroslav Zelinka (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Ondrej Pelikan (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Paták (CZE)
Additional AR 1: Radek Příhoda (CZE)
Additional AR 2: Jan Jílek (CZE)
Fourth Official: Ivo Nádvorník (CZE)
Referee Observer: Stephen Lodge (ENG)

Celtic – Ajax
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Thorsten Schiffner (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller (GER)
Additional AR 1: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Additional AR 2: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
Fourth Official:  Markus Häcker (GER)
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni (ITA)

Villarreal – Rapid Wien
Referee: Paweł Raczkowski (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Michał Obukowicz (POL)
Additional AR 1: Tomasz Musiał (POL)
Additional AR 2: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
Fourth Official: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
Referee Observer: Bo Karlsson (SWE)

Liverpool – Girondins Bordeaux
Referee: Alon Yefet (ISR)
Assistant Referee 1: Oren Borneshtain (ISR)
Assistant Referee 2: Nissan Davidy (ISR)
Additional AR 1: Ziv Adler (ISR)
Additional AR 2: Daniel Natan (ISR)
Fourth Official: Dvir Shimon (ISR)
Referee Observer: Ilkka Koho (FIN)

Copa Sudamericana – Semi-finals (Second Leg)

25-26 November 2015

Santa Fe – Sportivo Luqueno
Referee: Enrique Osses (CHI, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Francisco Mondria (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Astroza (CHI)
Fourth Official: Jorge Osorio (CHI)

Huracan – River Plate
Referee: Sandro Ricci (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Fabricio Vilarinho (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigo Correa (BRA)
Fourth Official: Dewson Freitas (BRA)

UEFA Champions League – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

24 November 2015
Bate Borisov – Bayer Leverkusen
Referee: Clément Turpin (FRA, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Frédéric Cano (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Additional AR 1: Fredy Fautrel (FRA)
Additional AR 2: Benoît Bastien (FRA)
Fourth Official: Hicham Zakrani (FRA)
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef (NED)

Zenit St. Petersburg – Valencia
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Kim Haglund (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Andas (NOR)
Additional AR 1: Ken Henry Johnsen (NOR)
Additional AR 2: Svein Erik Edvartsen (NOR)
Fourth Official: Sven Erik Midthjell (NOR)
Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov (MDA)

Olympique Lyonnais – KAA Gent
Referee: Sergey Karasev (RUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Averyanov (RUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Tikhon Kalugin (RUS)
Additional AR 1: Sergey Lapochkin (RUS)
Additional AR 2: Sergey Ivanov (RUS)
Fourth Official: Nikolai Golubev (RUS)
Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras (GRE)

FC Barcelona – AS Roma
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bahattin Duran (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Tarik Ongun (TUR)
Additional AR 1: Hüseyin Göçek (TUR)
Additional AR 2: Baris Simsek (TUR)
Fourth Official: Mustafa Eyisoy (TUR)
Referee Observer: Sándor Piller (HUN)

Arsenal – Dinamo Zagreb
Referee: Viktor Kassai (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: György Ring (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Vencel Tóth (HUN)
Additional AR 1: Tamás Bognar (HUN)
Additional AR 2: Ádam Farkas (HUN)
Fourth Official: Peter Berettyán (HUN)
Referee Observer: Jozef Marko (SVK)

Bayern München – Olympiacos
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Klasenius (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Wärnmark (SWE)
Additional AR 1: Stefan Johannesson (SWE)
Additional AR 2: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE)
Fourth Official: Mehmet Culum (SWE)
Referee Observer: Stefan Ormandjiev (BUL)

FC Porto – Dinamo Kyiv
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernández (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste Jiménez (ESP)
Additional AR 1: Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP)
Additional AR 2: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Fourth Official: Ángel Nevado Rodríguez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Jean Lemmer (LUX)

Maccabi Tel Aviv – Chelsea
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Díaz Pérez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Raúl Cabañero Martínez (ESP)
Additional AR 1: Carlos Clos Gómez (ESP)
Additional AR 2: Javier Estrada Fernández (ESP)
Fourth Official: Miguel Martínez Munuera (ESP)
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili (GEO)

25 November 2015
FK Astana – SL Benfica
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Guillaume Débart (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)
Additional AR 1: Tony Chapron (FRA)
Additional AR 2: Amaury Delerue (FRA)
Fourth Official: Laurent Stien (FRA)
Referee Observer: Peter Jones (ENG)

CSKA Moskva – VfL Wolfsburg
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Gianluca Cariolato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Additional AR 1: Antonio Damato (ITA)
Additional AR 2: Carmine Russo (ITA)
Fourth Official: Riccardo Di Fiore (ITA)
Referee Observer: Horst Brummeier (AUT)

Malmö FF – Paris SG
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Damien MacGraith (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Connor (SCO)
Additional AR 1: Robert Madden (SCO)
Additional AR 2: John Beaton (SCO)
Fourth Official: Alastair Mather (SCO)
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason (ISL)

Shakhtar Donetsk – Real Madrid
Referee: Bas Nijhuis (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Rob van de Ven (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Charles Schaap (NED)
Additional AR 1: Kevin Blom (NED)
Additional AR 2: Ed Janssen (NED)
Fourth Official: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Referee Observer: Peter Fröjdfeldt (SWE)

Manchester United – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: Pavel Královec (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Roman Slysko (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Wilczek (CZE)
Additional AR 1: Petr Ardeleanu (CZE)
Additional AR 2: Michal Patak (CZE)
Fourth Official: Tomas Mokrusch (CZE)
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange (ITA)

Atlético Madrid – Galatasaray
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Elenito Di Liberatore (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mauro Tonolini (ITA)
Additional AR 1: Luca Banti (ITA)
Additional AR 2: Davide Massa (ITA)
Fourth Official: Andrea Padovan (ITA)
Referee Observer: Zoran Petrovic (SRB)

Borussia Monchengladbach – Sevilla FC
Referee: Damir Skomina (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Vukan (SVN)
Additional AR 1: Slavko Vincic (SVN)
Additional AR 2: Mitja Zganec (SVN)
Fourth Official: Manuel Vidali (SVN)
Referee Observer: Francesco Bianchi (SUI)

Juventus Turin – Manchester City
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Borsch (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Additional AR 1: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Additional AR 2: Marco Fritz (GER)
Fourth Official: Rafael Foltyn (GER)
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer (LUX)

AFC Champions League Final 2015 (Second Leg)

Ravshan Irmatov was appointed to his fourth AFC Champions League final, after he already refereed the finals in 2007, 2011 and 2013.
21 November 2015
Guangzhou Evergrande – Al Ahli
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (UZB, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Abduxamidullo Rasulov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Jakhongir Saidov (UZB)
Fourth Official: Valentin Kovalenko (UZB)

Whittaker removed from the FIFA Referees Committee

FIFA has recently removed Alfredo Whittaker (CAY, photo) from their Referees Committee, after only one year since he replaced Carlos Batres (GUA) in the Competition section.

Chairman
Angel Villar Llona (ESP)

Deputy Chairman
Juan Napout (PAR)

Members Competition
1. Michel D’Hooghe (BEL)
2. Carlos Alarcon (PAR)
3. Badara Sene (SEN)
4. Jorge Romo (ARG)
5. Peter Mikkelsen (DEN)
6. Toru Kamikawa (JPN)
7. Lee Harmon (COK)
8. Ingrid Jonsson (SWE)
9. Jorge Larrionda (URU)
10. Celestin Ntagungira (RWA)
11. Alfredo Trentalange (ITA)
12. Abdulrahman Al-Delawar (BHR)
13. Magdi Shams (SDN)
14. Terence Babwah (TRI) - Medical

Members Development
1. Michal Listkiewicz (POL)
2. Ted Howard (USA)
3. Lambert Maltock (VAN)
4. Katriina Elovirta (FIN)
5. Jacqueline Leleu (AUS)
6. Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (MAS)
7. Michael Riley (ENG)
8. Oscar Ruiz (COL)
9. Hector Vergara (CAN)
10. Pierre Mounguengui (GAB)
11. James Sekajugo (UGA) - Medical

UEFA Women’s Champions League – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

18-19 November 2015

FC Barcelona – FC Twente
Referee: Esther Staubli (SUI, photo)

Fortuna Hjørring – ACF Brescia
Referee: Efthalia Mitsi (GRE)

VfL Wolfsburg – Chelsea LFC
Referee: Sara Persson (SWE)

Olympique Lyonnais – Atletico Madrid
Referee: Kateryna Monzul (UKR)

FFC Frankfurt – LSK Kvinner
Referee: Gyongyi Gaal (HUN)

Paris St. Germain – KIF Orebro
Referee: Sandra Bastos (POR)

WFC Zvezda – Slavia Praha
Referee: Morag Pirie (SCO)

FC Rosengard – ASD Verona
Referee: Teodora Albon (ROU)

UEFA Futsal Cup – Elite Round

10-15 November 2015

Group A (Torrejon)
1. Marc Birkett (ENG, photo)
2. Balazs Farkas (HUN)
3. Danijel Janosevic (CRO)
4. Pascal Lemal (BEL)

Group B (Pescara)
1. Gerald Bauernfeind (AUT)
2. Francisco Diaz (ESP)
3. Timo Onatsu (FIN)
4. Tomasz Frak (POL)

Group C (Gyor)
1. Eduardo Fernandes (POR)
2. Alessandro Malfer (ITA)
3. Lukas Pesko (SVK)
4. Borut Sivic (SVN)

Group D (Bratislava)
1. Swen Eichler (GER)
2. Borislav Kolev (BUL)
3. Bogdan Sorescu (ROU)
4. Admir Zahovic (SVN)

Mateu Lahoz: “A very troubling, tough moment”

The official has explained that uncertainty and horror gripped the Stade de France as Paris was rocked by a string of fatal bombings and shootings. Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz has spoken of the "troubling, tough" time in Paris, after he blew the final whistle in Friday's friendly clash between France and Germany. As the two teams played out the match, the French capital became engulfed by a string of tragic terrorist attacks. There were shootings and explosions reported across six locations in the French capital, including two suicide attacks and a bombing outside the Stade de France, where the game was being played. After the match ended, fans remained inside the stadium, with many moving onto the pitch as they waited for more information on the attacks which rocked the world and left more than 120 dead, with a further 200 injured.
Hours after blowing the final whistle, Mateu Lahoz spoke of his experience in officiating the game. The Spanish referee admits the players of France and Germany were in the dark about the Paris terror attacks until after the final whistle. Mateu Lahoz headed the all-Spanish team of match officials with Pau Cebrian, Javier Aguilar and Clos Gomez. “We had no idea about what was going on until after the game had ended. We have all been through some very difficult moments, moments of great uncertainty because at first, we were told that we were not allowed to leave the stadium but now things are a little calmer. This is a very troubling, tough moment and I don't really feel like speaking right now. We found out about what was happening through the press who were attending the game and the television", Mateu told AS.

Source: Goal

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers – Play-Offs (Second Leg)

15 November 2015
Hungary – Norway
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste Jimenez (ESP)
Additional AR 1: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)
Additional AR 2: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Fourth Official: Roberto Diaz Perez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Christos Skapoullis (CYP)

16 November 2015
Ireland – Bosnia & Herzegovina
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Sander van Roekel (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Erwin Zeinstra (NED)
Additional AR 1: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Additional AR 2: Richard Liesveld (NED)
Fourth Official: Charles Schaap (NED)
Referee Observer: Bo Karlsson (SWE)

17 November 2015
Slovenia – Ukraine
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bahattin Duran (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Tarik Ongun (TUR)
Additional AR 1: Huseyin Gocek (TUR)
Additional AR 2: Baris Simsek (TUR)
Fourth Official: Mustafa Eyisoy (TUR)
Referee Observer: Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez (ESP)

Denmark – Sweden
Referee: Martin Atkinson (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Mullarkey (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Child (ENG)
Additional AR 1: Anthony Taylor (ENG)
Additional AR 2: Andre Marriner (ENG)
Fourth Official: John Brooks (ENG)
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas (SCO)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 4)

17 November 2015

Colombia – Argentina
Referee: Carlos Vera (ECU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Byron Romero (ECU)
Fourth Official: Omar Ponce (ECU)

Venezuela – Ecuador
Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Javier Bustillos (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Montano (BOL)
Fourth Official: Oscar Maldonado (BOL)

Uruguay – Chile

Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian De la Cruz (COL)
Fourth Official: Luis Sanchez (COL)

Paraguay – Bolivia
Referee: Jose Argote (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Murillo (VEN)
Fourth Official: Marlon Escalante (VEN)

Brazil – Peru
Referee: Jose Buitrago (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Díaz (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Fourth Official: Imer Machado (COL)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CONCACAF (Round 4, Matchday 2)

17 November 2015

Panama – Costa Rica
Referee: Joel Aguilar (SLV, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Douglas Bermudez (SLV)
Fourth Official: Elmer Bonilla (SLV)

El Salvador – Canada
Referee: Mark Geiger (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Charles Morgante (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Corey Rockwell (USA)
Fourth Official: Edvin Jurisevic (USA)

Trinidad & Tobago – USA
Referee: Cesar Ramos (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Hernandez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Rangel (MEX)
Fourth Official: Oscar Macias (MEX)

St. Vincent & Grenadines – Guatemala
Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Philippe Briere (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Belleau (CAN)
Fourth Official: Leon Clarke (LCA)

Honduras – Mexico
Referee: John Pitti (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Williamson (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Keytzel Corrales (NCA)
Fourth Official: Ariel Sanchez (PAN)

Haiti – Jamaica
Referee: Javier Santos (PUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Jairo Morales (PUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Ainsley Rochard (TRI)
Fourth Official: Rodphin Harris (TRI)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 2, Matchday 8)

17 November 2015

Hong Kong – China
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (BHR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Yaser Tulefat (BHR)
Assistant Referee 2: Ebrahim Saleh (BHR)
Fourth Official: Abdulaziz Abdulla (BHR)

Guam – Iran
Referee: Ho Wai Sing (HKG)
Assistant Referee 1: Lam Kei Sam (HKG)
Assistant Referee 2: Fok Pong Shing (HKG)
Fourth Official: Fong Hei Lau (HKG)

Timor – Saudi Arabia
Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (SRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Palitha Hemathunga (SRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Priyanga Guruge (SRI)
Fourth Official: Ashantha Hadeege (SRI)

Korea DPR – Bahrain
Referee: Muhammad Bin Jahari (SIN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jeffrey Gek Pheng (SIN)
Assistant Referee 2: Edwin Liang Lee (SIN)
Fourth Official: Chuan Hui Foo (SIN)

Taipei – Iraq
Referee: Jumpei Iida (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Hiroyuki Igarashi (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Hiroshi Yamauchi (JPN)
Fourth Official: Vichhika Tuy (CAM)

Bangladesh – Australia
Referee: Wang Di (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Wang Dexin (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Shi Xiang (CHN)
Fourth Official: Alongkron Feemuechang (THA)

Bhutan – Qatar
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Ruslan Serazitdinov (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Alisher Usmanov (UZB)
Fourth Official: Sherzod Kasimov (UZB)

Singapore – Syria
Referee: Kim Jong Hyeok (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Jeong Hae-Sang (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Yoon Kwang Yeol (KOR)
Fourth Official: Dinh Van Dung (VIE)

Laos – Korea
Referee: Turki Alkhudhayr (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Badr Al Shumrani (KSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Khalaf Al Shammari (KSA)
Fourth Official: Pranjal Banerjee (IND)

Cambodia – Japan
Referee: Fu Ming (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Cao Yi (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Hsu Min-Yu (TPE)
Fourth Official: Yu Ming-Hsun (TPE)

Malaysia – UAE
Referee: Masaaki Toma (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Haruhiro Otsuka (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Akane Yagi (JPN)
Fourth Official: Takuto Okabe (JPN)

Turkmenistan – Oman
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Huo Weiming (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Xu Peng (CHN)
Fourth Official: Wang Zhe (CHN)

Kyrgyzstan – Jordan
Referee: Charymurat Kurbanov (TKM)
Assistant Referee 1: Saparmammet Gurbanov (TKM)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrey Tsapenko (UZB)
Fourth Official: Alibek Sapayev (TKM)

Yemen – Uzbekistan
Referee: Abdullah Al Hilali (OMA)
Assistant Referee 1: Hamed Al Mayahi (OMA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rashid Al Ghaithi (OMA)
Fourth Official: Yaqoob Baki (OMA)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 2, Second Leg)

15-17 November 2015

Gabon – Mozambique
Referee: Bernard Camille (SEY, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hensley Petrousse (SEY)
Assistant Referee 2: Gerard Pool (SEY)
Fourth Official: Nelson Emile (SEY)

Uganda – Togo
Referee: Hamada Nampiandraza (MAD)
Assistant Referee 1: Velomanana Jinoro (MAD)
Assistant Referee 2: Jean Djaonirina (MAD)
Fourth Official: Hubert Andriamiharisoa (MAD)

Zambia – Sudan
Referee: Bakary Gassama (GAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Sulayman Sosseh (GAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Omar Darboe (GAM)
Fourth Official: Sheriff Njie (GAM)

Equatorial Guinea – Morocco
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Tembo (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Moses Mwale (ZAM)
Fourth Official: Wisdom Chewe (ZAM)

Congo DR – Burundi
Referee: Luelseghed Ghebremichael (ERI)
Assistant Referee 1: Angesom Ogbamariam (ERI)
Assistant Referee 2: Berhe Tesfagiorghis (ERI)
Fourth Official: Amanuel Eyob (ERI)

Guinea – Namibia
Referee: Bienvenu Sinko (CIV)
Assistant Referee 1: Kouame Kangah (CIV)
Assistant Referee 2: Mamadou Bogbe (CIV)
Fourth Official: Tangba Kambou (CIV)

Rwanda – Libya
Referee: Djamal Aden (DJI)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdillahi Mahamoud (DJI)
Assistant Referee 2: Hamze Daher (DJI)
Fourth Official: Farah Aden (DJI)

Cameroon – Niger
Referee: Ghead Grisha (EGY)
Assistant Referee 1: Tahssen Abo El Sadat (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Taha Ibrahim (EGY)
Fourth Official: Mahmoud Zakaria (EGY)

Congo – Ethiopia
Referee: El Fadil Mohamed (SDN)
Assistant Referee 1: Waleed Ahmed (SDN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammed Ibrahim (SDN)
Fourth Official: Mutaz Khairalla (SDN)

Nigeria – Swaziland
Referee: Jackson Pavaza (NAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Isaskar Boois (NAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Christof Vries (NAM)
Fourth Official: Leston Nangombe (NAM)

Ghana – Comoros
Referee: Mohamed Ragab (LBY)
Assistant Referee 1: Foaad El Maghrabi (LBY)
Assistant Referee 2: Khalid Abulkhir (LBY)
Fourth Official: Abdallah Ashraf (LBY)

Egypt – Chad
Referee: Thierry Nkurunziza (BDI)
Assistant Referee 1: Jean Birumushahu (BDI)
Assistant Referee 2: Herve Kakunze (BDI)
Fourth Official: Georges Gatogato (BDI)

Tunisia – Mauritania
Referee: Denis Batte (UGA)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Ssonko (UGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Musa Balikoowa (UGA)
Fourth Official: Mashood Ssali (UGA)

South Africa – Angola
Referee: Davies Omweno (KEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Marwa Range (KEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Sabatia (KEN)
Fourth Official: Andrew Otieno (KEN)

Cote d’Ivoire – Liberia
Referee: Lazard Tsiba (CGO)
Assistant Referee 1: Tritton Diawa (CGO)
Assistant Referee 2: Sabhas Bantaba (CGO)
Fourth Official: Messie Nkounkou (CGO)

Burkina Faso – Benin
Referee: Mehdi Abid Charef (ALG)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)
Fourth Official: Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG)

Algeria – Tanzania
Referee: Neant Alioum (CMR)
Assistant Referee 1: Evarist Menkouande (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Fourth Official: Henry Mouandjo (CMR)

Cape Verde – Kenya
Referee: Joseph Lamptey (GHA)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Laryea (GHA)
Assistant Referee 2: Ibrahim Badiu (GHA)
Fourth Official: Hamidu Bomison (GHA)

Senegal – Madagascar
Referee: Joshua Bondo (BOT)
Assistant Referee 1: Oamogetse Godisamang (BOT)
Assistant Referee 2: Meshack Medupi (BOT)
Fourth Official: Lekgotla Johannes (BOT)

Mali – Botswana
Referee: Ali Lemghaifry (MTN)
Assistant Referee 1: Abderahmane Warr (MTN)
Assistant Referee 2: Hamedine Diba (MTN)
Fourth Official: Abderahmane Kelly (MTN)

Referee Bejarano removed from World Cup qualifier

FIFA removed Costa Rican referee Henry Bejarano from the World Cup qualifier Canada - Honduras for alleged comments about the Honduras team's chances to qualify to the World Cup and their coach.
After his appointment was announced by CONCACAF, referee Bejarano gave an interview to Diez, a major sports news portal from Honduras, where he allegedly spoke about the Honduran coach Jorge Luis Pinto and was positive about the country’s prospects for qualifying to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "I am spontaneous, very happy off the field, but very strict on the field, although I like to have a dialogue with players. I have personality and can always take courageous decisions", said the referee a few days ago. "Pinto is a great professional, but a little grumpy. I hope that both Honduras and my country, Costa Rica, will go to the World Cup; we are brothers, I wish you the best of luck!", allegedly said Bejarano in his interview to Diez.
Henry Bejarano, 37, has been refereeing in the Costa Rican first division since 2001 and received his FIFA badge in 2011. He has been selected as a candidate for the 2018 World Cup and this year went to New Zealand for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Bejarano was also in charge of the second leg of the 2015 CONCACAF Champions League Final in Canada, where Montreal Impact fell to Club America 4-2, back in April. The Canada – Honduras match would have been his first World Cup qualifier and his first match that involved Canada or Honduras.
According to the Costa Rican Referees Committee, Bejarano denies having made such statements and will have to give explanations to FIFA, but, in the meantime, his appointment was removed. Henry Bejarano, who was initially appointed along with their countrymen Leonel Leal, Octavio Jara and Walter Quesada, was replaced by the Jamaican referee Kevin Morrison and his team.

Source: Diez / La Prensa

Collina returns on the field as referee

David Beckham is bringing the finest players of his generation to Manchester for his Unicef match for children on Saturday. Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ryan Giggs will be on the field - and an equally iconic star will be in charge of the action. As the saying goes, “Italians do it better”. The cuisine, the cars, the fashion and some of the world’s most innovative architecture come from Italy. In the world of football things are no different. Italy has produced two of the greatest goalkeepers the game has ever seen in Gianluigi Buffon and Dino Zoff. They can boast defenders such as Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, and we should not forget the great entertainers of the Italian game, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti. But among the superstars who made Serie A famous, one man stands apart. He is a man whose tall frame and distinctive, intimidating features helped him gain the upmost respect from all of the aforementioned superstars. This man was the greatest ever referee: Pierluigi Collina.
Collina was like many Italian boys growing up; he had a real passion for all things football. Like many of us, Collina was not the most talented player and he had to combine playing for his local amateur side with studying in his native Bologna. At 6’2”, Collina had the perfect build to play in the centre of defence for his local side. During his time as a student at the University of Bologna, he took a referee’s course at the age of just 17, something at which he excelled. After graduating with an economics degree in 1988, Collina’s refereeing career took off as he found himself officiating in Serie C1 and C2. It wouldn’t be long until he earned a promotion to Serie B. As Collina’s career progressed he was diagnosed with a severe case of alopecia, resulting in complete and permanent hair loss. His bald head became one of his most distinguishing features. By the mid 1990s, Collina was a Serie A regular and was quickly making a name for himself as one of the best officials in the league. He was no average referee and quickly gained the respect of players, managers and fans. If he made a decision it was final and boy did everyone know it. If any of the egos in the Italian game tried to argue, a long, hard stare from Collina’s razor-sharp blue eyes made them realise they were fighting a losing battle. Collina towered over most players and was an intimidating character on the field. He could be seen barking back at players and even confronting them when the handbags came out. More often than not, the players in question would back down and walk away. On the field, Collina’s aura made him the boss. By the time the new millennium came around, Collina was a Serie A icon and famous worldwide. He was selected for European football’s biggest stage, taking charge of the 1999 Champions League final in Barcelona between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. He was then awarded the most prestigious game in world football, the 2002 World Cup final in Japan, as Germany squared off against Brazil. Such was the consistency of his refereeing that two years later he was also handed the 2004 UEFA Cup final. Collina had well and truly cemented his place as the world’s greatest and, if there was a marquee game being played, chances were Collina would be the man in the middle. By the mid-2000s, Collina had won IFFHS’s best referee of the year award award six times in a row. He was a pioneer, truly changing the way the game is refereed. The last time we would see his trademark wide eyed glare would be in 2005 as Collina called time on an illustrious career at the age of 45. It was a year ahead of schedule. Such was his reputation that the Italian Football Federation extended the age limit for referees from 45 to 46 in order to allow Collina to continue to officiate. But it wouldn’t be Italy without a little controversy and Collina sought an early exit after a conflict with the federation over a sponsorship deal in August 2005. When his professionalism was brought into question, Collina decided to walk. “After 28 years I have decided to hand in my resignation,” said Collina. “People must believe in a referee. In the end, we have all lost out. I have slept less these last few nights than on the eve of the World Cup final”. 
After Collina hung up his whistle in 2005, he used his economics degree to start a successful career as a financial advisor. He kept in touch with the game by doing some media work, public speaking and he also found time to release his first book Le Mie Regole del Gioco (The Rules of the Game). In 2011, he was inducted into the Italian football hall of fame, an honour to accompany the other outstanding awards he achieved throughout his career. But Collina’s body and mind never truly left the game. He became the head of referees for the Ukrainian football federation and continues to make appearances at charity matches. On Saturday, when Sir Alex Ferguson leads out a team packed with former Manchester United players and Carlo Ancelotti tries to combine the attacking talents of Ronaldinho, Patrick Kluivert, Luís Figo and Zinedine Zidane into the same side, at least they will have an official worthy of the exalted company: the greatest referee ever. 

Source: The Guardian

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers – Play-Offs (First Leg)

12 November 2015
Norway – Hungary
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (ENG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Beck (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Jake Collin (ENG)
Additional AR 1: Craig Pawson (ENG)
Additional AR 2: Jonathan Moss (ENG)
Fourth Official: Simon Bennett (ENG)
Referee Observer: Vladimir Sajn (SVN)

13 November 2015
Bosnia & Herzegovina – Ireland
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Borsch (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Additional AR 1: Marco Fritz (GER)
Additional AR 2: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Fourth Official: Thorsten Schiffner (GER)
Referee Observer: Marc Batta (FRA)

14 November 2015
Ukraine – Slovenia
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Klasenius (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Wärnmark (SWE)
Additional AR 1: Stefan Johannesson (SWE)
Additional AR 2: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE)
Fourth Official: Fredrik Nilsson (SWE)
Referee Observer: Francesco Bianchi (SUI)

Sweden – Denmark
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Elenito Di Liberatore (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mauro Tonolini (ITA)
Additional AR 1: Luca Banti (ITA)
Additional AR 2: Antonio Damato (ITA)
Fourth Official: Andrea Padovan (ITA)
Referee Observer: Oguz Sarvan (TUR)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CONCACAF (Round 4, Matchday 1)

13 November 2015

Jamaica – Panama
Referee: Roberto Garcia (MEX, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Marvin Torrentera (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Andres Hernandez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Jose Penaloza (MEX)

Mexico – El Salvador
Referee: Walter Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Lemus (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Gerson Lopez (GUA)
Fourth Official: Jonathan Polanco (GUA)

USA – St. Vincent & Grenadines
Referee: Jeffrey Solis (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Fernandez (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Osvaldo Luna (CRC)
Fourth Official: Hugo Cruz (CRC)

Guatemala – Trinidad & Tobago
Referee: Mathieu Bourdeau (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Joe Fletcher (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Graeme Browne (SKN)
Fourth Official: Kimbell Ward (SKN)

Costa Rica – Haiti
Referee: Yadel Martinez (CUB)
Assistant Referee 1: Hiran Dopico (CUB)
Assistant Referee 2: Leonardo Sanchez (CUB)
Fourth Official: Marcos Brea (CUB)

Canada – Honduras
Referee: Kevin Morrison (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Ricardo Morgan (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Garnet Page (JAM)
Fourth Official: Karl Tyrell (JAM)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 3)

12 November 2015

Argentina – Brazil
Referee: Antonio Arias (PAR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Milciades Saldivar (PAR)
Fourth Official: Ulises Mereles (PAR)

Bolivia – Venezuela
Referee: Victor Carrillo (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Johnny Bossio (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Cesar Escano (PER)
Fourth Official: Henry Gambetta (PER)

Ecuador – Uruguay
Referee: Ricardo Marques (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Fabricio Vilarinho (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigo Correa (BRA)
Fourth Official: Pericles Cortez (BRA)

Chile – Colombia

Referee: Enrique Caceres (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Rodney Aquino (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Caceres (PAR)
Fourth Official: Carlos Amarilla (PAR)

Peru – Paraguay
Referee: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
Assistant Referee 1: Raul Orellana (CHI)
Assistant Referee 2: Claudio Rios (CHI)
Fourth Official: Patricio Polic (CHI)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 2, Matchday 7)

12 November 2015

Iran – Turkmenistan
Referee: Kim Dong Jin (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Choi Min Byoung (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Bang Gi Yeol (KOR)
Fourth Official: Aziz Asimov (UZB)

India – Guam
Referee: Jarred Gillett (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Ashley Beecham (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Sivanesan Muniandy (MAS)
Fourth Official: Mizanur Rahman (BAN)

Uzbekistan – Korea DPR
Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Reza Sokhandan (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohammadreza Mansouri (IRN)
Fourth Official: Mooud Bonyadifard (IRN)

Australia – Kygyzstan
Referee: Kim Sang-Woo (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yang Byoung-Eun (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Kim Young Ha (KOR)
Fourth Official: Kim Dae Yong (KOR)

Maldives – Hong Kong
Referee: Ammar Al Jeneibi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed Al Rashadi (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Ali Ahmad (SYR)
Fourth Official: Feras Taweel (SYR)

Korea – Myanmar
Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (QAT)
Assistant Referee 1: Ramzan Al-Naemi (QAT)
Assistant Referee 2: Yousuf Al-Shamari (QAT)
Fourth Official: Shahzad Khurram (PAK)

Afghanistan – Cambodia
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmad Alroalle (JOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Faisal Shwair (JOR)
Fourth Official: Ahmad Ibrahim (JOR)

China – Bhutan
Referee: Marai Al Awaji (KSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Zayed Kamal (UAE)
Assistant Referee 2: Sayed Mahfoodh (BHR)
Fourth Official: Salah Abbas (BHR)

Tajikistan – Bangladesh
Referee: Ali Al Qaysi (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 1: Luay Subhi (IRQ)
Assistant Referee 2: Muayad Ali (IRQ)
Fourth Official: Wathik Al Baag (IRQ)

Philippines – Yemen
Referee: Kim Hee Gon (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Park Sang Jun (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Park In Sun (KOR)
Fourth Official: Ullah Hidayat (PAK)

Palestine – Malaysia
Referee: Ahmed Al Kaf (OMA)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdullah Al Jardani (OMA)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Al Shammakhi (OMA)
Fourth Official: Omar Al Yaqoubi (OMA)

UAE – Timor
Referee: Mohsen Torki (IRN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammadreza Abolfalzi (IRN)
Assistant Referee 2: Saeid Alinezhadian (IRN)
Fourth Official: Hasan Akrami (IRN)

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 2, First Leg)

11-14 November 2015

Mauritania – Tunisia
Referee: Eric Otogo-Castane (GAB, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Theophile Vinga (GAB)
Assistant Referee 2: Montel Moussounda (GAB)
Fourth Official: Yves Roponat (GAB)


Sudan – Zambia
Referee: Mohamed Benouza (ALG)
Assistant Referee 1: Bouabdallah Omari (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Ali Brahim (ALG)
Fourth Official: Farouk Houasnia (ALG)

Mozambique – Gabon
Referee: Parmendra Nunkoo (MRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Vivian Vally (MRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Vinesh Swamber (MRI)
Fourth Official: Ganesh Chutooree (MRI) 


Namibia – Guinea
Referee: Redouane Jiyed (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Redouane Achik (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Essam Benbapa (MAR)
Fourth Official: Khalid Ennouni (MAR)

Benin – Burkina Faso
Referee: Bouchaib El Ahrach (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Youssef Mabrouk (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamed Lahmidi (MAR)
Fourth Official: Adil Zourak (MAR)

Togo – Uganda
Referee: Yakhouba Keita (GUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Aboubacar Doumbouya (GUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdel Raffi (GUI)
Fourth Official: Baba Leno (GUI)

Morocco – Equatorial Guinea
Referee: Daniel Bennett (RSA)
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela (RSA)
Assistant Referee 2: Fundo Chauke (RSA)
Fourth Official: Kulasande Qongqo (RSA)

Madagascar – Senegal
Referee: Hudu Munyemana (RWA)
Assistant Referee 1: Honore Simba (RWA)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymond Bwiliza (RWA)
Fourth Official: Louis Hakizimana (RWA)

Comoros – Ghana
Referee: Norman Matemera (ZIM)
Assistant Referee 1: Tapfumanei Mutengwa (ZIM)
Assistant Referee 2: Salani Ncube (ZIM)
Fourth Official: Ruzive Ruzive (ZIM)

Kenya – Cape Verde
Referee: Denis Dembele (CIV)
Assistant Referee 1: Moussa Bayere (CIV)
Assistant Referee 2: Valere Gouho (CIV)
Fourth Official: Abou Coulibaly (CIV)

Libya – Rwanda
Referee: Malang Diedhiou (SEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Djibril Camara (SEN)
Assistant Referee 2: El Hadji Samba (SEN)
Fourth Official: Falou Kane (SEN)

Angola – South Africa
Referee: Bamlak Tessema (ETH)
Assistant Referee 1: Kindie Mussie (ETH)
Assistant Referee 2: Belachew Yetayew (ETH)
Fourth Official: Zekarias Fega (ETH)

Niger – Cameroon
Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Abbou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Yahya Nouali (MAR)
Fourth Official: Hicham Tiazi (MAR)

Liberia – Cote d’Ivoire
Referee: Youssef Essrayri (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Ramzi Herch (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Faouzi Jridi (TUN)
Fourth Official: Slim Jedidi (TUN)

Swaziland –Nigeria
Referee: Akintoye Koole (BEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Babadjide Dina (BEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Sena Houedin (BEN)
Fourth Official: Eugene Tohouegnon (BEN)

Ethiopia – Congo
Referee: Mohamed Said Kordi (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohsen Ben Salem (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Majed Rhouma (TUN)
Fourth Official: Nasrallah Jaouadi (TUN)

Tanzania – Algeria
Referee: Mahamadou Keita (MLI)
Assistant Referee 1: Balla Diarra (MLI)
Assistant Referee 2: Drissa Niare (MLI)
Fourth Official: Harouna Coulibaly (MLI)

Botswana – Mali
Referee: Ali Adelaid (COM)
Assistant Referee 1: Soulaimane Amaldine (COM)
Assistant Referee 2: Hamadi Ibrahim (COM)
Fourth Official: Noiret Bacari (COM)

Chad – Egypt
Referee: Ferdinand Udoh (NGA)
Assistant Referee 1: Peter Edibi (NGA)
Assistant Referee 2: Abel Baba (NGA)
Fourth Official: Henry Ogunyamodi (NGA)