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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZAMBIAN referee Janny Sikazwe will fly the Cosafa flag high at the 2018 Fifa World Cup finals after being named among the 36 officials for next year’s tournament.

The 38-year-old was the only official picked from the southern part of the continent and alongside Mehdi Abid Charef of Algeria, Malang Diedhiou (Senegal), Bakary Papa Gassama (Gambia), Ghead Grisha (Egypt) and Weyesa Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia) who are the other match officials from Caf selected by Fifa.

Sikazwe has a wealth of experience, having officiated in the 2015 and 2017 African Cup of Nations finals where he was the centre man in the final in Gabon in February. He also featured in the 2016 Fifa Club World Cup final featuring European champions Real Madrid and Kashima Antlers at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.

Uefa provided the highest number of referees, with 10 set to make it to Russia, but ironically no referee from the hugely popular Barclays English Premier League will be in Russia.

Those selected will attend a preparatory seminar from November 25-29 in Dubai.

The final list stating specific roles will be announced once the use of video assistant referees (VARs) at the World Cup is approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

2018 Fifa World Cup referees

AFC: Fahad AL Mirdasi (KSA), Alireza Faghani (IRN), Ravshan Irmatov (UZB), Mohammed Abdulla Mohamed (UAE), Ryuji Sato (JPN), Nawaf Abdulla Shukralla (BHR)

CAF: Mehdi Abid Charef (ALG), Malang Diedhiou (SEN), Bakary Papa Gassama (GAM), Ghead Grisha (EGY), Janny Sikazwe (ZAM), Weyesa Bamlak Tessema (ETH)

CONCACAF: Joel Aguilar (SLV), Mark W. Geiger (USA), Jair Marrufo (USA), Ricardo Montero (CRC), John Pitti (PAN), Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos (MEX)

CONMEBOL: Julio Bascuñan (CHI), Enrique Caceres (PAR), Andres Cunha (URU), Nestor Pitana (ARG), Sandro Ricci (BRA), Wilmar Roldan (COL)
OFC: Matthew Conger (NZL), Norbert Hauata (TAH)
UEFA: Felix Brych (GER), Cüneyt Cakir (TUR), Sergey Karasev (RUS), Bjorn Kuipers (NED), Szymon Marciniak (POL), Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (ESP), Milorad Mazic (SRB), Gianluca Rocchi (ITA), Damir Skomina (SVN), Clement Turpin (FRA). — @skhumoyo2000.