When the stakes are high, you normally prefer referees with a distinct level of integrity. Hopefully Somali referee Hagi Yabarow Wiish, who has been appointed for Uganda Cranes 2015 Nations Cup qualifier against Togo tomorrow, is one such referee.

Considering that Cranes will be desperate to amend their previous 1-0 defeat to Togo in Lome, the 36-yearold will be advised not to be card-happy due to the tackles expected to fly in from both sides during the course of the 90 minutes. 

Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic will also have to ask his charges to keep cool heads as Yabarow is renowned disciplinarian, who will not hesitate assuming his nonsense approach.

 Yabarow will be assisted by Berhe O’Michael and Yahaya Mahamadou. 

The Cranes are already without suspended defender Andrew Mwesigwa. Geoffrey Massa is also a card away from suspension. 

Although the odds point to a decent result for hosts Togo, the appointment of Yabarow will trigger some degree of optimism among Ugandans considering Yabarow’s East African origins. 

Of course, the appointment of a West African official would have raised suspicion and ignited memories of a certain Senegalese Badara Diatta, whose hapless performance in Uganda’s 2008 Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria took the gloss off a breath-taking game at the MKO Abiola Stadium in 2007. 

But equally the appointment of Somalian Yabarow will not guarantee ‘favours’ considering the performance of Kenyan referee Davies Ogenche Omweno on Saturday. 

Ogenche left Namboole Stadium an unpopular figure after ignoring two penalty shouts that included Brian Umony’s foul in the box by Togolese goalkeeper Djehani N’Guissan (as seen in the picture above). Cranes fans protested by throwing water bottles onto the pitch.

Source: New Vision

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