Algerian Benouza among prospective FIFA referees

World football body FIFA Friday pre-selected an Algerian referee for the 2010 World Cup, the only African Arab likely to be part of the World Cup panel.

• Mohamed Benouza was held along with four other Africans retained on a list of 38 prospective referees.
• They are: Coffi Codja of Benin, Koman Coulibaly of Mali and Eddy Maillet of the Seychelles.
• The list includes Saudi Arabian Khalil Ibrahim Al Ghamdi as well as Breeze Matthew from Australia, Irmatov Ravshan from Uzbekistan, Mohamed Salleh Subkhiddin  from Malaysia and  Nishimura Yuichi from Japan.
• According to the FIFA, all the short-listed referees participated in various FIFA-sponsored seminars and have officiated at FIFA competitions since the procedure started in late 2006.
• The Commission of referees led by FIFA’s Vice-Chairman said the refrees to take part in the world cup finals in South Africa 2010 will be selected from this 38 list.
• Mohamed Benouza, 36, has been a full international referee for the FIFA since 2001. He was selected for the 2007 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Canada where he controlled matches between Panama and North Korea, New Zealand and Mexico in 2007.

• According to the same source, “all the pre-selected referees have participated in various FIFA-sponsored seminars and have officiated at FIFA competitions since the procedure started in late 2006.It further states that “the criteria used for selection included technical, physical, medical and psychological reviews, and referees’ performance at international encounters”.

• Benouza’s performance in the last African Cup of Nations competition, in Ghana played a part in the reputation he gained, to be selected at this stage.

•