By David Gold
January 1 – FIFA has suspended the Angolan referee Heldér Martins, the country’s Football Federation (FAF) have confirmed.
FAF told the Angolan Press Agency that Martins had been informed of the suspension but that no reason had been given.
The agency reported that they have requested further information from FIFA for the reasoning behind the ban.
Despite his suspension the FAF chairman, Manuel de Cunha, said that he has the qualities to referee at the highest level and they were hoping he would be able to officiate at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
De Cunha described it as a “very delicate” case and said they will be using the forthcoming African Nations Cup, being held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next month, to assess the matter fully.
The 34-year-old referee has taken charge of games at the under-17 World Cup and has been an official since 2008.
In 2010 he was the fourth official at the contentious African Nations Cup semi-final between fierce rivals Egypt and Algeria, in which the latter had three players sent off as they lost 4-0.
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