FIFA announced on Wednesday a new officiating team for the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Benin Republic and Nigeria.
The match was originally scheduled to be officiated by Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa on June 10, at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny.
Weyesa has now been replaced by Gabonese official Pierre Ghislain Atcho, who officiated the 2023 AFCON match between Senegal and Ivory Coast, where he was sanctioned for poor officiating.
In that controversial match, Atcho denied Senegal a potential penalty after a crucial foul in the Ivorian box.
He also awarded Sadio Mané a yellow card for a foul many believed should have been a red card.
This led to significant criticism which resulted to his dismissal from AFCON.
Weyesa’s compatriots, Temesgin Samuel Atango and Tigle Gizaw Belachew, have been retained as assistant referees 1 and 2, respectively.
However, Tewodros Mitiku, another Ethiopian who was originally designated as the fourth official, has been replaced.
The new fourth official is now Cameroonian Antoine Max Effa Essouma.
