Amin Omar Mohamed, an Egyptian, has been named center referee for the crucial June 2026 World Cup qualifier between Ghana and Mali in Bamako.

Ibrahim Ahmed Hossameldin Taha, Hassan Elghandour Ahmed, and Abouelregal Mahmoud Ahmed Kamel Ahmed, who will act as Assistant I, Assistant II, and Fourth Referee, respectively, will support Mohamed.

Abid Charef Mehdi of Algeria will serve as the referee assessor, and Balde Yaya of Senegal will serve as the match commissioner, in charge of managing the match’s general management and coordination.

Prior to this, Mohamed officiated a game for Ghana in 2021 against Zimbabwe in a 2022 World Cup qualifier. Thomas Partey’s goal gave the Black Stars a 1-0 victory, which ultimately qualified them for Qatar.

After a somewhat lackluster start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the match against Mali is very important for the four-time African champions.

With a victory over Madagascar and a loss to Comoros, they are now down three points, three behind the unexpected leaders Comoros. After gaining four points from their last two games, Mali also needs a victory to increase their chances.

Ghana’s hopes of winning the group and earning a direct qualification to the competition—which the USA, Mexico, and Canada will co-host—may be in jeopardy if they lose.

On June 6, Ghana will play the Central African Republic in Kumasi, just four days after the scheduled match. For both the players and coach Otto Addo, these two games are vital.