HARARE - Fifa yesterday named 13 African match officials to be part of the cast at the 2014 World Cup and there was no room for Zimbabweans on the list.
Local referees have largely been left out of international assignments since the retirement of Felix Tangawarima and Kenny Marange.
"Fifa has implemented a comprehensive programme to ensure that the referees for its flagship competition are in peak condition," the football governing body said yesterday.
“The referees selected for the World Cup in Brazil have been chosen based especially on their personality and their quality in football understanding by being able to read the game and the teams' tactical approaches towards each game."
The selected referees will now undergo further training and their progress will be monitored until the World Cup kicks off in Brazil in June.
“Between now and the World Cup, the selected group of match officials will participate in three seminars: February, March/April, and the last one 10 days before the kick-off of the 2014 Fifa World Cup,” said Fifa.
“The selected referees and assistant referees will be followed and monitored regularly during this period, and Fifa is ready to give them all the support they need so that they can prepare for this important World Cup in the best possible manner.”
Each referee was selected as a part of a team including two linesmen.
South African referee, Daniel Bennett, who officiated in the inaugural Mbada Diamonds Cup final in 2011, is the only match official from the South African region who made the list.
The rest of the African contingent was drawn up from Ivory Coast, Burundi, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Cameroon and Kenya.
Meanwhile, English referee Howard Webb, who officiated the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and Netherlands in South Africa, has been selected to be part of the referees in Brazil.
Webb handed out 14 yellow cards and one red in that final and was widely criticised for failing to send of Dutch hard Nigel de Jong for a kung-fu on Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso.
La Roja went on to win the tournament courtesy of Andres Iniesta’s extra time strike.