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Join on Telegram Rabat – Argentinian referee Fernando Andres Rapallini is set to take charge of Morocco’s upcoming World Cup group stage match against Croatia, American news outlet the Atlantic reported.
Born in 1978, Rapallini officiated in Argentina’s professional league Primera Division and has been a FIFA referee since 2014.
Rapallini officiated during the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, making him the first Latin American referee to officiate at a European Championship.
On May 2022, FIFA announced the referee list for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and the 44-year-old referee was among the 35 referees chosen to take charge of the global tournament’s 64 matches.
Rapallini’s assistant referees will include Argentina’s Juan Pablo Belatti and Diego Bonfa.
The game, which marks Group F’s opening match at the World Cup, will take place on Wednesday, November 23 at 11:00 am Moroccan time at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.
BeIN Sports will broadcast the match for free for its audience in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Morocco’s public broadcaster SNRT will also televise the game on its channels.
Read also: Vahid Halilhodzic Regrets Not Captaining Morocco Against Croatia
Morocco’s Atlas Lions promised to do their best at the World Cup and produce a strong performance.
“We are young people with ambition, and we want to do great things together and do our best for our country,” said Moroccan player Achraf Hakimi.
However, the 2018 World Cup runners-up, Croatia, is a tough opponent. France won the 2018 World Cup title in Russia after defeating Croatia 4-2.
The global tournament’s draw placed Morocco in Group F, alongside Croatia, Canada, and Belgium.
After their match against Croatia, the Atlas Lions will face Belgium on November 27, and Canada on December 1.
