African refereeing has never been more prominent on the global stage than it is right now.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Africa has six centre referees and nine assistant referees, representing the continent’s growing influence in world football officiating.
CAF officials are handling some of the most high-profile early group stage fixtures, including Germany vs Curaçao and Haiti vs Scotland.
The story of African refereeing at this tournament is also one of heartbreak, with Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadir Artan becoming one of the most talked-about stories of the entire World Cup before a ball was even kicked.
Here are the 10 best African football referees.
1. Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
Mustapha Ghorbal is the best referee Africa has right now and the continent’s most experienced official on the global stage.
Born in Oran on August 19, 1985, Ghorbal has been refereeing in the Algerian Ligue 1 since 2011 and earned his FIFA badge in 2014.
He officiated four matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, making him one of a tiny group of African referees trusted with that kind of workload at a World Cup.
The 2026 edition will be his second World Cup, and FIFA assigned him the Group C opener between Haiti and Scotland, one of the very first fixtures of the tournament.
He has been a fixture in CAF competitions for years, officiating AFCON, the CAF Champions League, and multiple World Cup qualifying rounds including the high-stakes Senegal vs Egypt playoff.
Ghorbal is composed, authoritative, and completely at ease on the biggest stages.
He is the standout name in African officiating in 2026.
2. Jalal Jayed (Morocco)
Jalal Jayed is making history at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the first Moroccan referee to officiate on the field at the tournament in 24 years.
The last Moroccan to do so was Mohamed El Kazzaz at the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan.
FIFA assigned him Germany vs Curaçao in Houston, Group E, one of the most high-profile early matches of the tournament.
The 39-year-old has taken charge of four AFCON matches and has 83 international matches in his career, averaging 3.8 yellow cards per game.
That number tells you he runs tight but fair matches without losing control.
His inclusion ends a 24-year drought for Moroccan on-field refereeing at a World Cup and is a direct reward for years of consistent excellence in CAF competition.
3. Amin Omar (Egypt)
Amin Omar is one of Egypt’s most respected referees and the latest in a long line of officials from the country to earn global recognition.
He began refereeing in the Egyptian top flight in 2013 and earned his FIFA badge in 2017.
FourFourTwo describe him as a sometime lawyer, which speaks to the analytical precision he brings to his officiating.
FIFA assigned him the Group A match between South Korea and Czech Republic, a high-profile fixture that underlines the faith assessors have placed in him.
He represents one of Africa’s most football-passionate nations and carries Egypt’s officiating tradition onto the world stage.
4. Abongile Tom (South Africa)
Abongile Tom is South Africa’s top referee and the most prominent officiating figure the country has at the 2026 World Cup.
He was selected as both a centre referee and as the fourth official for the Germany vs Curaçao match alongside Morocco’s Jalal Jayed.
Tom is known for his calm authority, excellent positioning, and his ability to manage the physical demands of top-level officiating.
His selection is a source of enormous pride for South African refereeing, which has been steadily building its profile in continental and global football.
South Africa are also competing at the tournament as a national team for the first time since 1998, making Tom’s presence on the officiating panel doubly significant for the country.
5. Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
Pierre Atcho is one of the most underrated referees on the African continent and a man who has worked his way up to earn a first World Cup appointment.
The Gabonese official has been on the FIFA international referees list for eight years and his selection reflects years of consistent officiating in the most demanding competitions African football offers.
He will take charge at his first World Cup with compatriots Boris Ditsoga and Amos Abeigne Ndong serving as his assistant referees, making them a fully Gabonese officiating unit.
Having three officials from the same small central African nation at a World Cup is a remarkable achievement.
6. Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
Dahane Beida is perhaps the most surprising selection in the African group and a genuine example of how football is spreading across the entire continent.
The Mauritanian referee has worked his way through CAF competitions to become one of the most respected officials in West African football.
His selection is a first for Mauritanian refereeing at a senior World Cup and has been celebrated enormously back home.
He will be assisted by Angola’s Jerson Emiliano dos Santos, another historic first for their respective countries.
Together they represent a new wave of African officiating from nations that were not previously visible on the global stage.
7. Elvis Noupue (Cameroon)
Elvis Noupue is one of Africa’s most experienced assistant referees and a respected figure in CAF officiating circles.
The Cameroonian official has earned his place at the 2026 World Cup through consistent performances in the most demanding African competitions.
Cameroon are one of Africa’s great football nations and Noupue carries that tradition into the officiating world.
His precision on the offside line and his communication with centre referees make him one of the most dependable assistants on the African continent.
8. Boris Ditsoga (Gabon)
Boris Ditsoga is part of Gabon’s remarkable trio at the 2026 World Cup, serving as assistant referee in Pierre Atcho’s team.
His World Cup appointment is the highest moment of his career and a reward for years of reliable, consistent assistant refereeing in CAF competition.
His ability to read offside lines and communicate cleanly with the centre referee has made him one of the most trusted assistants in African officiating.
9. Bakary Gassama
Bakary is one of Africa’s top referees after rising to officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia 2017 Confederation Cup since becoming a FIFA referee in 2007.
Bakary handled Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Egypt, Cameroon’s shootout win over Burkina Faso in the third-place match, amongst others, at the AFCON in January without any controversy.
10. Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia)
Omar Artan is the most talked-about officiating story of the entire 2026 World Cup and his story deserves to be told in full.
Born in Mogadishu on June 6, 1992, Artan became the first Somali referee ever selected for a FIFA World Cup when FIFA announced the 52-man officiating list in April 2026.
He was the first Somali referee to officiate at an Africa Cup of Nations.
He was the first Somali to take charge of a continental final, overseeing Pyramids FC’s 2024/25 CAF Champions League triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns.
He was the sole Sub-Saharan African representative at the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud personally applauded him for his “effort, skills, and integrity.”
Then on June 6, he flew from Istanbul to Miami for the mandatory FIFA pre-tournament seminar and was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport.
He was held for an 11-hour immigration interview before being placed on a return flight.
US officials raised questions about Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab during the interview, and CBP cited unspecified “vetting concerns.”
“The World Cup was the biggest dream of my life,” Artan said on his return.
He landed in Mogadishu on June 10 to a hero’s welcome.
In a powerful postscript, UEFA then selected Artan to referee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa, making him the first African referee ever to take charge of a UEFA club competition match.
His story is one of the most powerful in the history of the sport, and he has handled it with nothing but dignity and class.
Honourable Mentions:
- Mahmoud Ashour (Egypt) — VAR official
- Hamza El Fariq (Morocco) — VAR official
- Zakhele Siwela (South Africa) — Assistant referee
- Mokrane Gourari (Algeria) — Assistant referee
- Abbes Akram Zerhouni (Algeria) — Assistant referee
- Zakaria Brinsi (Morocco) — Assistant referee
- Mostafa Akarkad (Morocco) — Assistant referee
- Mahmoud Abouregal (Egypt) — Assistant referee
- Ahmed Hossam Taha (Egypt) — Assistant referee
- Jerson Emiliano dos Santos (Angola) — Assistant referee
