World Cup 2026: Four African Officials Part Of Panel That Lifted Balogun's Ban

World Cup 2026: Four African Officials Part Of Panel That Lifted Balogun's Ban

Sampson Adedeji

Four African football administrators were among the members of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee panel that approved the lifting of United States forward Folarin Balogun's suspension during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The four officials who served on the disciplinary committee jury are Kossi Guy Akpovy of Togo, Moez El Nasri of Tunisia, Domingos Monteiro of São Tomé and Príncipe, and Tebogo Sebego of Botswana.

Their participation formed part of the committee that reviewed Balogun's disciplinary case before deciding to overturn the suspension, making the striker eligible to return to action for the United States.

Balogun was subsequently available for the Americans' Round of 16 clash against Belgium.

However, his return was not enough to prevent the United States from suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat, ending their campaign at the tournament.

The inclusion of four African officials on the FIFA disciplinary panel underlines the growing representation of the continent in key decision-making roles within world football.