As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, ten African referees have emerged on a preliminary list of potential officials for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams, and Africa is set to secure nine automatic qualification spots.
The list, which has been reported by Africasoccer.com, includes some of the continent’s top referees. Among them are Mustapha Ghorbal from Algeria, Jean-Jacques Ndala from DR Congo, Amin Omar from Egypt, Pierre Atcho from Gabon, Beida Dahane from Mauritania, Issa Sy from Senegal, Omar Artan from Somalia, Tom Abunjil from South Africa, Mahmoud Ismail from Sudan, and Jalal Jiyed from Morocco. Additionally, Moroccan official Hamza El Farouki is being considered for a position within the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team.
While the list has generated considerable excitement, both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have stressed that the names circulating in the media are still unverified, as the final selection of referees will undergo several more stages of evaluation.
Referees’ performances in international and continental competitions, as well as their physical fitness, will be closely monitored before the final decisions are made.
The final list of officials is expected to be confirmed in the coming months, with further assessments shaping the final group of referees who will officiate the highly anticipated World Cup.
