The Referee Who Made Headlines In South Africa's World Cup Qualifier Against Ghana, Maguette Ndiaye, Could Be In Hot Water Again

Jan 31, 2022 - 12:26 pm

By Kamogelo Motecwane

The Referee Who Made Headlines In South Africa's World Cup Qualifier Against Ghana, Maguette Ndiaye, Could Be In Hot Water Again

The Senegalese referee who was the cause of much controversy during South Africa's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ghana is yet again under the microscope.

On Sunday afternoon, Maguette Ndiaye was tasked with officiating a north African derby as Morocco and Egypt clashed in the quarter-final stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Record AFCON winners Egypt won the game 2-1 in extra-time, but in the 77th minute of the encounter, a scuffle ensued between the sides after Egyptian forward Mostafa Mohamed fouled Achraf Hakimi.

Ndiaye rushed to the scene as he looked to play peacemaker but seemed to push Morocco's Munir El Haddadi in the process, with the Sevilla man clutching his face as he dropped to the floor.

— Mohammed saied (@saiedahly) January 31, 2022

The referee did manage to get the game back under control, booking both Mohamed and Hakimi as a result of the altercation.

Ndiaye's refereeing ability was initially called into question by the South African Football Association (SAFA), who accused him of match manipulation. The basis of the accusation was Ghana's receiving of a dubious penalty against South Africa during their World Cup qualifier in November 2021.

SAFA did not win the case because of a detail in the rules, resulting in Ndiaye being eligible to officiate at the African showpiece in Cameroon.