Mali referee to officiate Malawi vs Namibia match
World football-governing body Fifa, has appointed Malian referee Koman Coulibaly, as the centre man of this Wednesday’s 2014 World Cup qualifying match between Malawi’s Flames and Namibia’s Brave Warriors at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Coulibaly, 43 was one of the 32 referees at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
He will be assisted by compatriots Balla Diarra (first assistant referee), Nouhoum Bamba (second assistant referee) and Ousmane Karembe
as a fourth official.
A degree holder and financial enforcement inspector for the government of Mali, Coulibaly has been an international referee since 1999 and has been selected for five African Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournaments.
He also officiated the 2010 Afcon final between Ghana and Egypt in Angola.
Diarra, 39 has been an international assistant referee since 2007 whereas Bamba, 41, has officiated at international level since 2005 and Karembe, 41 is also an experienced referee.
Although with vast experience, Coulibaly is never short of controversy.
According to the Wikipedia, in 2010 Coulibaly became the subject of international press coverage after officiating a 2010 World Cup Group C match between United States and Slovenia where he called a disputed foul against United States’ Maurice Edu when he put the ball in the Slovenian goal.
The disallowed goal would have put the American side ahead, but the match ended 2-2.
Again, he had to be escorted off the pitch after the 2010 CAF Champions League group stage match between Egyptian clubs Al-Ahly and IsmailySC.
Al-Ahly scored four minutes into extra time to win the match while Coulibaly did not call a foul by an Al-Ahly player in the build-up to the goal.
