Said Belqola
 | |||
| Full name | Said Belqola | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
30 August 1956 Tiflet, Morocco | ||
| Died |
15 June 2002 (aged 45) Rabat, Morocco | ||
| Other occupation | Customs officer | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1979–1986 | League | Referee | |
| 1987–1989 | Inter-league | Referee | |
| 1990–1992 | Federal | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1993–2002 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Said Belqola (Arabic: سعيد بلقولة; 30 August 1956 – 15 June 2002) was a Moroccan football referee, best known for officiating the 1998 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and France, being the first African referee to officiate a World Cup final.
Career
[edit]Belqola's international career began when he was appointed to the international list in 1993, going on to referee the match between hosts France and eventual champions England at the Tournoi de France in 1997. He was also among the referees at the final tournaments of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and 1998, officiating two matches at each tournament, including the 1998 final where Egypt faced South Africa.[1] At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he also officiated two group matches (Germany vs. USA and Argentina vs. Croatia).[2] In the final of the tournament, he controversially sent off French defender Marcel Desailly after a double booking; hosts France defeated defending champions Brazil 3–0.[3]
Personal life
[edit]Belqola was born in Tiflet, Morocco and worked in Fez as a civil servant (he was a customs officer).
Belqola died on 15 June 2002 in Rabat, after a long battle against cancer.[4] He was buried in Tiflet, Morocco.
Major matches refereed
[edit]| Date | Match | Tournament | Venue | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 February 1998 | South Africa vs. Egypt | 1998 African Cup of Nations final | Stade du 4-Août, Ouagadougou | 0–2 | [1] |
| 12 July 1998 | Brazil vs. France | 1998 FIFA World Cup final | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 0–3 | [3][5] |
Honours
[edit]- Best Arab Referee: 1998[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Said Belqola". weltfussball.de. Archived from the original on 2012-06-12.
- ↑ "Said Belqola - Einsätze".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 3 "World Cup ref Belqola dies". BBC Sport. 15 June 2002. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "World Cup ref Belqola dies". BBC Sport. June 15, 2002.
- ↑ "Brazil 0–3 France (12 July, 1998)". www.espn.com. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
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