Papa Bakary Gassama shared his delight for being selected among the six African officials to officiate at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In an interview,following the announcement of his selection by the World Football Governing Body, FIFA, as part of the six African referees selected to officiate in Rusdia 2018, the current and the two-time African Referee of the year award winner, Papa, said he is thankful to God for being chosen to take centre stage at the world’s biggest football tournament for the second time in four years, after making his debut at the World Cup in Brazil, where he was widely praised for his performance in the highly charged game between Netherlands and Chile, which was the highlight of his duties in Brazil.

“It was a very good move for me, my family, my friends and the country as well,” said Gassama.

“It was a very very difficult journey. Being in Brazil in 2014 means it becomes a big challenge to maintain that position to be on the list again and to continue working hard to maintain your performance, your training levels, fitness and everything. So it was not easy.

“It is very difficult to maintain thesame level , but thanks to my colleagues, my fellow Gambian referees, who I train with every day, and they motivate me just like I motivate them vice-versa, and its all about training hard and dedication, as you know refereeing nowadays is not easy, because the game is faster and a lot more challenging. So it’s only through hard training, reading and trying to maintain thesame level or at least if you are not semi-professional you work and try to become a semi-professional.”

The 38-year-old referee said he decided to become a referee because he loved the officiating job, but admitted it was not an easy choice to choose refereeing over the lure to play football himself, but in the end it was a decision made by himself and no one else and one he is happy with.

However, he also admitted it was not all plain sailing to get to this point as he recalled his early days refereeing in Nawettan tournaments, where he said some times the abuses and foul tirades pushed him to the brink of giving up on his choice, but credit to the encouragement from his friends, colleagues and family, he kept going. And among those who encouraged him the most was the man he described as his ‘father and mentor’, the former GFA President and PPP Foreign minister, the late Alhagi Omar Sey, who passed away two months ago, and had also tried his hand in the officiating job before chairing CAF’s Refereeing Committee.

Papa,  who became the first Gambian official to officiate at a world, when he took stage in Brazil in 2014, Said he is not looking far beyond Russia 2018, however’ he has not completely ruled out the interest in making it a third time lucky in Qatar 2022.  But at the moment he said his focus is on Russia.

“I don’t know at the moment because I have so many other plans for the future, and as at now I know it’s going to be very difficult, because nowadays refereeing is very difficult, but I will have to discuss with my family and friends and also CAF and FIFA for their advices. I know it’s going to be very difficult, but again am still young and I think I can do it, but will have to talk to them and see.”

The Gambia’s top referee also shared his firm believe that he will not be the last Gambian referee to reach such heights. “I am hundred percent sure we will have another Papa or even better than Papa,” he said.

“Because I have confidence in this boys, because they have respect, they are training hard and reading the laws of the game, so am very confident. They have to continue training hard.

“In refereeing there is no time to waste, and you have to train hard, read, watch games and listen to stay on top.”

Pap will be joined by six other referees from Africa and 10 assistant referees. The referees include: Mehdi Abid Charef from Algeria, Malang Diedhiou of Senegal, Gehad Grisha from Egypt, Janny Sikazwe from Zambia, and Ethiopia’s Bamlak Tessema Weyesa and Papa. The total number of officials to take part in the Russian Jamboree, including both referees and assistants from 46 countries will be 99 in total, which will also include video assistant referees (VAR), a new technology that will introduced in the tournament for the first time.