FIFA : Good news for referee Pierre Atcho After AFCON 2023
Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho, who gained attention for his performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has received good news from FIFA along with twelve other African referees.
Like many teams eliminated in this 34th edition of the AFCON, Pierre Atcho has already returned home to Gabon. Selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate matches during the 2023 AFCON, the young Gabonese referee experienced a mixed competition.
Impressive during the match between Egypt and Ghana in the second match of Group B, Pierre Atcho completely lost control during his second match between Senegal and Ivory Coast. With glaring errors in judgment, the referee was sidelined for the remainder of the competition. Despite this setback, he has not lost credibility with FIFA.
Pierre Atcho preselected for the 2026 World Cup Indeed, this Thursday, the referee who Krépin Diatta found hard to digest after the round of 16 match that sealed Senegal’s early elimination, has been preselected by the International Federation of Association Football for the 2026 World Cup.
Considered one of the best referees on the African continent, Pierre Ghislain Atcho is part of a list of 13 African central referees vying to officiate in the upcoming World Cup. This is a morale booster for the Gabonese, who will continue his learning journey to improve in view of future challenges.
It must be said that if he was unrecognizable in his last match at the 2023 AFCON, it is also due to the poor performance of the VAR, which is supposed to correct referees’ errors. During this competition, which will end on Sunday, February 11th, the level of refereeing was enormous. With the introduction of video assistance, everything has improved significantly, boding well for the future of African football.
The complete list of 13 preselected referees In addition to Pierre Atcho, FIFA has also focused on 11 other male head referees and one female referee. These include Libyan Ibrahim Mutaz (who refereed Ivory Coast – DR Congo in the semi-final of the 2023 AFCON), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo), Tom Abongile (South Africa), Issa Sy (Senegal), Dahane Beida (Mauritania), Mahmood Ali Mahmood (Sudan), Amin Mohamed Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt), Mansour Mohamed Maarouf (Egypt), Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia), Allaou Akhadji Mahamat (Chad), and Moroccan Bouchra Marboubi.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe recently praised the good work done by African referees. « The quality of our referees, match commissioners, assistant referees, and our VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is world-class. The integrity, independence, and African referees – we are convinced – are second to none », he told the South African boss on BBC last week.
A great achievement for African football. It should be noted, of course, that among the 13 referees, some will be eliminated to definitively select those who will officiate at the 2026 World Cup.
Until FIFA’s final list is announced, Pierre Ghislain Atcho will have several other opportunities to redeem himself from his mistakes and prove that CAF can count on him to represent the African continent perfectly on the global stage. Having become a professional referee in 2023, the Gabonese still have a long way to go, just like several other young referees, such as Senegal’s Issa Sy, who had a good AFCON.
