FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009

6 May 2009

FIFA have confirmed the trios of match officials who will participate in the forthcoming FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.

Representing all six confederations, the thirty match officials were selected from a list of prospective candidates for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Preparations for the match officials have been conducted under the guidance of FIFA´s Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP), which was approved by the FIFA Executive Committee at the end of 2007. The basic objective of the RAP is to professionalise the environment in which referees develop and work at both national and international level.

The programme comprises two distinct but related parts. The first part is the preparation of match officials for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, with practical and theoretical sessions focusing on five core areas: technical, physical, psychological, medical and energy performance. The second part of RAP is the development of refereeing at member association level.

The FIFA Confederations Cup, also known as the "Festival of Champions”, will be staged at venues in four cities: Johannesburg, Tshwane/Pretoria, Rustenburg and Mangaung/Bloemfontein.

To be held between 14 and 28 June 2009, the FIFA Confederations Cup includes Brazil as Copa America winners, African champions Egypt, first-time Asian champions Iraq, 2006 FIFA World Cup™ winners Italy, Oceania champions New Zealand, hosts South Africa, European champions Spain, and CONCACAF Gold Cup winners, the USA.

CONFEDERATION: ROLE: NAME: COUNTRY:

AFC Referee Matthew BREEZE Australia
Assistant ref. Matthew CREAM Australia
Assistant ref. Ben WILSON Australia

CAF Referee Coffi CODJIA Benin
Assistant ref. Komi KONYOH Togo
Assistant ref. Alexis FASSINOU Benin

CONCACAF Referee Carlos BATRES Guatemala
Assistant ref. Leonel LEAL Costa Rica
Assistant ref. Carlos PASTRANA Honduras

CONMEBOL Referee Carlos AMARILLA Paraguay
Assistant ref. Emigdio RUIZ Paraguay
Assistant ref. Nicolas YEGROS Paraguay
Referee Jorge LARRIONDA Uruguay
Assistant ref. Pablo FANDINO Uruguay
Assistant ref. Mauricio ESPINOSA Uruguay

OFC Referee Michael HESTER New Zealand
Assistant ref. Jan-Hendrik HINTZ New Zealand
Assistant ref. Mark RULE New Zealand

UEFA Referee Massimo BUSACCA Switzerland
Assistant ref. Matthias ARNET Switzerland
Assistant ref. Francesco BURAGINA Switzerland

Referee Martin HANSSON Sweden
Assistant ref. Henrik ANDREN Sweden
Assistant ref. Fredrik NILSSON Sweden

Referee Howard WEBB England
Assistant ref. Michael MULLARKEY England
Assistant ref. Peter KIRKUP England

Reserve trio:

CAF Referee Eddy MAILLET Seychelles
Assistant ref. Evarist MENKOUANDE Cameroon
Assistant ref. Bechir HASSANI Tunisia

To find out more about the appointed match officials, please click here: http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/referees/index.html

For more information on the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009, please click here: http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/index.html