South Africa’s Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwela to Officiate Spain and Japan Clash

• South Africans Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwela will officiate for their second World Cup game
• Lesotho's Souru Phatšoane and Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga will join in for Spain vs Japan
• The duo of Gomes and Siwela were praised for the way they handled France versus Australia

South Africa may not be competing at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but the country is still well-represented in the tournament.

Mzansi’s own Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwela were called up to Qatar and have already officiated their first game.

Gomes oversaw France and Australia’s clash, with Siwela serving as his assistant on the touchline. Lesotho's Souru Phatšoane was on the other touchline, while Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga served as the fourth official.

The quartet earned high praise for their performance during the game, and have now been handed their second assignment. As reported by IOL, they will now officiate the game between Spain and Japan.

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The match is hugely significant, as La Roja top the group with four points and the Samurai Blue are in second place with three points.

Gomes is no stranger to officiating big games. The South African oversaw the CAF Champions League final and the African Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Egypt. He made headlines for the manner in which he handled Mohamed Salah during the game.

A reputation for red cards

Gomes is known for being a no-nonsense referee who isn’t afraid to send players to the changing room. Fans expect to see at least one red card dished out during the games he officiates.

Gomes and Siwela garner praise

Reigning champions France sounded a warning to the rest of the challengers at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with a resounding 4-1 win against Australia.

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There was a very strong African flavour in this encounter at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah. The man with the whistle was South Africa's Victor Gomes, assisted by his compatriot Zakhele Siwela, Lesotho's Souro Phatsoane and Rwanda's Salima Mukansaga.

This was a moment of pride for many viewers, who were impressed with the officials' performance, Sports Brief reported.

Referee hands whistle to player

South African referee Victor Gomes handed Mohamed Salah his whistle and cards, while responding bizarrely to complaints from the Egyptian star of the match officiating.

The AFCON 2021 final saw Senegal win the title for the very first time in their history, as they beat the Pharaohs via a penalty shootout after the tie had ended 0-0 after extra time.

During the game, Salah had complained a number of times to the match referee and provoked a response, Sports Brief reported.