Bakary Gassama: Meet 2022 World Cup bound history-setting African referee

Caretaker November 12, 2022

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Gambia International Referee Papa Bakary Gassama will make history when he officiates at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Gassama will become the first African Referee to officiate In 3 consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments having already officiated at the Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018 tournaments.

Gassama is going to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

HOW OLD IS BAKARY GASSAMA

Born on February 10, 1979 in Gambia, Gassama is 43 years old.

WHEN DID HE BECOME A FIFA REFEREE

After years of officiating with distinction in his native Gambia, Gassama was badged a FIFA referee in 2007 and has excelled on the prestigious roll for 15-years.

GASSAMA’S FIRST WORLD CUP

Papa Bakary Gassama excelled at the 2012 Olympics football event and was among the officials for the gold medal match.

In 2013 FIFA listed Gassama among 50 potential referees for the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup competition.

In January 2014, FIFA announced the list of Referees for the World Cup and Gassama was on the plane to South America for his first FIFA World Cup tournament.

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP

By this time, Gassama was a household name in football refereeing in Africa. The multiple time CAF referee of the year winner officiated at the 2017 FIFA Confederation Cup and was eventually listed for the World Cup in 2018.

OTHER AFRICAN REFEREES LISTED FOR THE 2022 WORLD CUP

Bakary Gassama will be joined by seven (7) other African referees at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

They are Janny Sikwaze (Zambian), 2021 AFCON final referee Victor Gomez, Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Tessema Balmak ( Ethiopia ), Redouane Jiyed (Morroco), Margaret N’diaye ( Senegal ), and Jean Jacques Ndala (DR Congo).

The eight African referees have since joined a pool of match officials from across the world that will officiate matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup which get underway in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022.

When he is assigned for his first game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Gassama will go into the African refereeing history book for most World Cup appearances (3).