Irmatov, Kassai to referee World Cup semis

JOHANNESBURG (AP):

Ravshan Irmatov and Viktor Kassai will referee the World Cup semi-finals, FIFA said yesterday.

Uzbekistan's Irmatov will take charge of the Netherlands-Uruguay match at Cape Town today for his fifth match of the finals.

The 32-year-old Irmatov also refereed the Germany-Argentina quarter-final on Saturday and the opening match between South Africa and Mexico. He has yet to issue a red card or award a penalty in the tournament.

Kassai will officiate the Germany-Spain match at Durban tomorrow for his fourth assignment.

The 34-year-old Hungarian also has yet to send off a player at the World Cup and has awarded just one penalty - converted by Landon Donovan for the United States in their 2-1 second-round defeat after extra-time against Ghana.

FIFA said it has retained 10 referees and their teams of two assistants for the rest of the tournament, including top Europeans Howard Webb from England and Belgium's Frank de Bleeckere.

Referees for Sunday's final at Soccer City and the third-place match to be played Saturday in Port Elizabeth will be named after the semi-finals.

The 38-year-old Webb is aiming to complete a prestigious double after having taken charge of the Champions League final in May, when Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in Madrid.

At 44, De Bleeckere has his last chance to work a World Cup final before reaching FIFA's mandatory retirement age next year.

South Africa's Jerome Damon also will stay in contention to referee the final in his home country.

Both Mexican referees - Benito Archundia and Marco Rodriguez - of the 30 originally selected to work at the World Cup will stay to the end.