Rwanda Football Association (Ferwafa) president Celestin Ntagungira alias Abega has been appointed on the Fifa referees commission.
Rwanda Football Association (Ferwafa) president Celestin Ntagungira alias Abega has been appointed on the Fifa referees commission.
Ferwafa Secretary General Michel Gasingwa said, in a statement posted on Ferwafa.com, that Ntagungira has again been entrusted with a role in the development of football on the globe.
"Based on the letter written last month, Abega will sit on the referees’ commission of Fifa which is entitled to select referees, who officiate at matches organised by FIFA,” said Gasingwa.
Abega will sit on the Fifa referees committee which also is comprised of chairman Angel Maria Villa Llon from Spain, Carlos Alarcon (Paraguay), Peter Mikkelsen (Denmark), Belaid Lacarne (Algeria), Michal Listkiewicz (Poland), Ted Howard (USA), Carlos Batres (Guatemala) and Lambert Maltock (Vanuata).
The Referees Committee shall implement and interpret the Laws of the Game and may propose amendments to the Laws of the Game to the Executive Committee.
It shall appoint the referees and assistant referees for matches in competitions organised by FIFA.
It is not clearly stated whom Abega might replace but it is likely possible Algeria’s Lacarne may face the exit since every continent is represented by one person.
The former CAF/FIFA international referee Abega was elected president of Rwanda football association in September following the resignation of Brig. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura.
Apart from being the FA boss, Abega is CAF’s referees’ instructor for East and Central African region.
Abega stands out as the country’s most decorated referee after officiating at two Fifa World Cups, three Africa Nations Cup, two World Club Championships, two U-20 youth championships, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and numerous continental and regional tournaments.
This experience has kept him a respectable figure in both Caf and Fifa circles.