The Niger Football Association (FNF) has confirmed that former referee Lucien Bouchardeau passed away on Tuesday.

He died at the age of 56 at his home in Niamey after a long battle with heart disease.

French-born Bouchardeau started refereeing in local non-league football and eventually progressed to take charge of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations final.

Bouchardeau was the first Nigerien to referee at a World Cup when he did so in the 1998 tournament in France, overseeing the match between Italy and Chile.

He also refereed at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

In later years, he served as a refereeing instructor for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and as a FIFA assessor.