World Cup bound Ref Sikazwe to officiate Super Cup final

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 09:07:38 +0000

By MICHAEL MIYOBA

THE Confederations of African Football CAF has selected experienced Zambian referee, Janny Sikazwe to officiate the CAF 2018 Super Cup final between Wydad Athletic Club and TP Mazembe.

The fixture, set for February 24 will see Wydad Athletic who are the reigning CAF Champions League winners and CAF confederations winners TP Mazembe clashing in Casablanca, Morocco.

Sikazwe has been in the spotlight having taken charge of high profile continental fixtures and is also in line to officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He will be assisted by Jerson Emiliano dos Santos of Angola and Zhakele Siwela of South Africa.

The highlight of his refereeing career has been officiating at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup match that had Real Madrid facing Japanese side Kashima Antlers.

Sikazwe also officiated the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final between Egypt and Cameroon.

The top Zambian referee was recently named among the 36- member team of referees that will officiate at the 2018 Russia World Cup which will run from June 14 to July 15th 2018.

After having officiated at the 2017 U20 World Cup were Zambia were eliminated in the quarter final stage in South Korea, Sikazwe will represent Zambia at the tournament which the Zambia national soccer team failed to qualifier for.

According to the list unveiled by the World football governing body FIFA, Sikazwe joins five other top African referees such as Mehdi Charef from Algeria, Senegalese Malang Diedhiou and Bakary Papa Gassama from Gambia.

Sikazwe, who also handled the 2016 Club World Cup final involving Spanish giants Real Madrid and Japanese League champions Kashima Antlers is also joined by Egyptian Ghead Grisha and Weyesa Bamlak from Ethiopia who completes the list of African referees to officiate at the World Cup.

Sikazwe also joins top referees such as Germany’s Felix Brych, Mateu Lahoz from Spain, Italian Gianluca Rocchi and French League One’s Clement Turpin from the Union of European Football Associations UEFA.

Sikazwe was also chosen to officiate the Africa Cup of Nations final which Cameroon lifted after humbling North African giants Egypt to a 2-1 defeat.

His exploits on the pitch have earned him elevation from a school teacher in Kapiri Mposhi to a senior education officer in charge of broadcasting in Central Province.