Waikato’s CK Kawana-Waugh will be the sole New Zealand referee to officiate at May’s FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in Argentina.
Kawana-Waugh, who is the referee manager for WaiBOP Football, has been selected by FIFA’s Referees Committee to be one of 25 referees selected for the tournament which starts on May 20.
Main photo: CK Kawana-Waugh … off to the U-20s World Cup in Argentina.Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
FIFA have also selected 38 assistant referees and 18 video match officials for the 24-team tournament.
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The chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, said:
“It is a particular joy to be able to hold the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina and Argentina will be a great venue for this important competition which is the beginning of a new cycle leading to the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
Overseen by the FIFA Refereeing Subdivision, the officials’ preparations for the tournament will focus on a wide range of topics, such as their reading and understanding of the game, teamwork, and the importance of obtaining the best position or angle – being in the right place at the right time – to make the correct decision.
‘Essential to use the best officials from all around the world’
FIFA’s Director of Refereeing, Massimo Busacca, said:
“All these aspects reflect the FIFA refereeing philosophy and are key to the officials’ performance, and as such, are vital to achieve consistency and uniformity at such a high level of the game.
“For FIFA, it is essential to ensure that the best match officials from all around the world are selected for FIFA competitions.”
The selected match officials will participate in a final preparation seminar a few days before the tournament kicks off, reviewing and analysing video clips of real-match situations, and taking part in practical training sessions with players, which will be filmed to enable participants to receive instant feedback from the instructors.
“After the successful FIFA World Cup in Qatar last November and December, this competition in Argentina will give talented FIFA match officials the opportunity to show their quality while taking another step forward in their career,” Pierluigi Collina said.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023 takes place from May 20 till June 11, 2023.
Full list of officials
READ MORE: Download the full list of officials to be used at the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup >>>>
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