Facundo Tello, the no-nonsense Argentine referee who once sent off 10 players in one match, has been assigned the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A showdown between Bafana Bafana and South Korea at Estadio Monterrey on Thursday.
The 44-year-old whistleman grabbed headlines in November 2022 when he gave marching orders to 10 players in a temperamental Argentina Champions Trophy final between Boca Juniors and Racing Club.
It was a chaotic encounter that saw Tello flash red cards to two Boca Juniors players and one Racing Club player during regulation time. It then got worse in extra time when five men from Boca Juniors and two Racing Club stars were dismissed following a scuffle.
With the two sides locked at 1-1 late in extra time, Carlos Alcaraz scored the winning goal for Racing Club in the 118th minute and celebrated in front of Boca Juniors fans. That sparked a brawl between players.
Boca Juniors players confronted Alcaraz and, amid the melee, grabbed him by the ear, pushed him, and threw a ball at him. That prompted Tello to impose strict disciplinary measures, sending off five Boca Juniors players and two from the other team.
In total, Boca Juniors had seven players sent for an early shower while Racing Club had three red-carded. Tello now steps in as the centre referee for Bafana’s do-or-die match against South Korea at the global showpiece.
BAFANA BAFANA WALKING A DISCIPLINARY TIGHTROPE AGAINST KOREA WITH FACUNDO TELLO IN CHARGE
Teboho Mokoena adds to Bafana’s disciplinary woes after he was shown a second yellow card against the Czech Republic, to be suspended for the Korea match, having earned himself another caution against Mexico.
Tello will be assisted by fellow Argentines Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade. The fourth official will be Andres Rojas, a Colombian, while his compatriot Alexander Guzman will be the reserve assistant referee.
Tello was also under the spotlight during the World Cup qualifiers inter-confederation play-off final between DR Congo and Jamaica at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, in March. He got injured during extra time and went down clutching his left knee and calf.
That caused a five-minute stoppage before he was replaced by fourth assistant Dario Herrera. Besides the headline-making incidents, Tello’s competence earned him an invitation to UEFA EURO 2024. He has been on the FIFA panel since 2019 and was at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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