As the World Cup competition intensifies as the remaining teams fight to stay in the tournament, which concludes on July 19, Fifa announces its choices of referees ahead of each crucial match—and its choices for the crucial Englad versus Norway game in the quarter-finals include an Emirati.
The main referee who will officiate the match is Clément Turpin from France and the fourth official will be Alejandro José Hernández Hernández from Spain.
The UAE Football Association announced Saturday that Emirati referee Mohamed Obaid Khadim has been appointed as the Stand-by VAR for the game. Besides Khadim, the Emirati referee team participating in the current World Cup includes Omar Al Ali and Mohamed Ahmed Yousif. The trio are highly experienced match officials who have previously taken part in major international football tournaments.
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This will not be the first time for Emirati referees to particiapte in officiating this Worldf Cup’s matches. Al Ali and Yousif were selected by Fifa to officiate the Egypt vs New Zealand match in the group stage, which ended in a 3-1 win for the North African team.
England vs Norway
England will lock horns with Norway on Sunday in Miami, in a mouthwatering battle of elite strikers that pits Harry Kane against Erling Haaland. The teams are competing to face either reigning champions Argentina or surprise package Switzerland in the semi-finals.
Kane has once again been England’s hero, dragging his teammates through an attritional last-16 meeting with Mexico at the Estadio Azteca that they won 3-2 despite having a man sent off. The Bayern Munich forward has scored six goals to fire the Three Lions to the quarter-finals.
On the other hand, Haaland appears to have been enjoying himself ever since he touched down in the United States and began smashing in the seven goals that have carried Norway further than ever before.
Their run, which included eliminating Brazil, has been accompanied by their fans’ joyous rowing celebration that has turned venues across the US into giant human Viking ships.
(With inputs from AFP)
Source: Khaleej Times