FIFA World Cup 2022’s Belgium vs Canada Group F match at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium will be officiated by controversial 43-year-old referee Janny Sikazwe. This Zambian official has the experience of conducting only two World Cup matches ahead of this, both in 2018. In one of them, where Belgium were playing against Panama, Sikazwe courted controversy by issuing eight yellow cards.

His most infamous moment came in January 2022 in an AFCON Africa Cup of Nations match between Tunisia and Mali. Sikazwe chose to blow the whistle at the 85th minute while Mali was leading with a scoreline of 1-0, causing the Tunisia bench to protest against his decision.

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After the match restarted, Sikazwe again chose to blow the whistle 17 seconds before the 90th minute.

Sikazwe later explained that it was the extreme heat that made him take the decision.

Who is Janny Sikazwe?

Janny Sikazwe is a Zambian referee born on 26 May, 1979. He has been registered with FIFA, world football’s controlling body, since 2007. His career took off in 2008 when he was called in to officiate a COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup game in South Africa

In 2015, Sikazwe found himself among the referees set to officiate that year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament. 

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Two major club football matches which were officiated by Sikazwe include the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final between Cameron and Egypt, and the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup match between Real Madrid and Japan’s Kashima Antlers.

Sikazwe became the centre of controversy after he ended the aforementioned Tunisia vs Mali match twice before time. However, a forensic report later revealed that he was suffering from heat stroke, something Sikazwe had corroborated himself, and this is the reason that might have faltered his judgement during the match.