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German Referee For Nigeria/Argentina Match
FIFA named German referee Stark Wolfgang as the centre referee for next Saturday’s World Cup clash between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Argentina’s La Albiceleste.
In an e-mail, the world soccer governing body named Wolfgang’s compatriots Salver Jan-Hendrik and Pickel Mike as the assistant referees for the game billed for Johannesburg.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are providing the fourth offical as well as the reserve referee. While Al Ghandi Khalil from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be the fourth official, Iran’s Kamrani Hassan was named the reserve referee.
Friday’s opening game of the June 11 to July 11 tournament between hosts South Africa and Mexico will be handled by Uzbekistan’s Irmatov Ravshan.
Ravshan will be assisted by his compatriots Ilyasov Rafael and Kochkarov Bakhadyr Malaysia’s Mohammed Salleh and Mu Yuxin from China will be the fourth official and reserve referee respectively for the tournament’s opener.
Ravshan, who began his international career in 2003, is the first referee from Uzbekistan to officiate in a FIFA competition.
Currently the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) referee of the year, which he won in 2008 and 2009, the Uzbek official has been at the 2003, 2007 and 2009 U-17 World Cup and the U-20 tournaments.
He was also at the centre of the final game of the 2008 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan between Manchester United of England and Liga de Quito from Ecuador.
Japanese and Korean referees will handle the second Group A match on June 11 between Uruguay and France. Nishimura Yuichi will be at the centre. Sagara Toru also from Japan will be the first assistant referee and Korea’s Jeong Hae Sang will be the second assistant.
The Slovenian pair of Aguilar Joel and Torres William will be the fourth and reserve referee respectively for the tie billed for Cape Town.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) are providing the officials for the second Group B game scheduled for Nelson Bay/Port Elizabeth between Greece and Korea on June 12.
The centre referee for the game is Hester Michael from New Zealand. He will be assisted by Hitz Jan Hendrik also from New Zealand and Tonga’s Makasiri Tevita.
The fourth official and reserve referee are Vazquez and Pastorino Carlos from Uruguay.
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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