Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwele Are Two South Africans Selected on the Qatar FIFA World Cup Panel of Referees

• South Africa will have some kind of representation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year
• Victor Gomes was already confirmed over a month ago, but it was now revealed that Premier Soccer League colleague Zakhele Siwela will join him in the Middle East
• Gomes became a worldwide sensation after putting Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah in the 2021 African Cup of Nations final against Senegal

South Africa will be represented at the 2022 FIFA World Cup despite Bafana Bafana once again not qualifying for the global showpiece event in Qatar.

Victor Gomes will be joined by Premier Soccer League colleague Zakhele Siwela as part of a 129-man contingent charged with running the law in the Middle East's first ever hosting of football's ultimate tournament.

According to Kick Off, the legendary Perluigi Collina, FIFA Refereees Committee chairman, said:

"As always, the criteria we have used is 'quality first' and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide. The 2018 World Cup was very successful, partly because of the high standard of refereeing, and we will do our best to be even better in a few months in Qatar."

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Ghanaians can breathe a sigh of relief, as Gomes is certain not to cross paths with the Black Stars as unforgiving South Africans continuously hope happens.

The 2022 edition of the global competition is set to take place between 21 November and 18 December and will be the last edition to feature 32 teams ahead of the planned expansions to take place in 2026.

Referee Victor Gomes speaks out about infamous Mohamed Salah Moment in AFCON 2021 final that went viral

No-nonsense South African referee Victor Gomes has spoken out for the first time since the 2021 African Cup of Nations final in Cameroon where he became a global household name.

As reported by Sports Brief, in a match that Senegal won on penalties after it ended 0-0 in regulation time, Gomes was seen reading Egyptian superstar Mo Salah the riot act.

To cap off the memorable moment, he then offered Salah the whistle, sarcastically urging him to officiate the match after incessant complaining by the Liverpool forward.