Referees for Bafana Bafana World Cup ties

Referees from Djibouti will take charge of South Africa’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in Polokwane on Friday while officials from Mauritania will handle next week’s Group C clash against Benin.

Fifa said Mohamed Diraneh Guedi had been appointed in the middle with Liban Abourazak Ahmed and Eleych Robleh Dirir as the two linesmen for Friday’s game at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Dahane Beida will be assisted by compatriots Brahim Salem H’made and Kalidou Ba for Bafana’s clash with Benin in neutral Abidjan next Tuesday.

Beida was the referee for last year’s Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

Guedi has handled three Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers previously and one group match in the African Confederation Cup this season but this is major step up for him after he was on the panel at the last U-20 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.

Linesman Robleh attended the Confederation of African Football’s Young Talent Referees course in Abidjan earlier this month along with Luxolo Badi and Cledwin Baloyi from South Africa.