By Mohammed Korime
Egyptian referee Gamal Mohamoud Ahmed Ghandour has enjoyed a successful career on the national and international stage since he first took charge of a Football League match as a 23 year old in 1980.
Gamal Mahmoud Ahmed Ghandour was born June 12, 1957.In his career so far he has had managed more than 250 games in the Egyptian Premier League including 13 this season.
Ghandour has successfully officiated numerous of Egyptian derbies between Al Ahly and Zamalek since 1996. Apart from the derbies he has managed more than 30 games in African scene, including 3 Africa Cup of Nations Youth finals with the most recent being the 1995 where he was the man incharge of three matches.
He subsequently participated in the management of four AFCON tournament during which he managed 11 games, most notably the final held in year 2002 by Mali.He was also incharge of two AFCON semi-finals in South Africa in 1996 and Nigeria in 2000 and ran the opening game in the 1998 edition that was held in Burkina Faso.
The Egyptian FA official has managed more than 50 games in both CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup.In 1994 alone he was in charge of five big matches held in 1994 in Kenya,1997 in Tunisia, 2001 in South Africa and 2002 in Ghana.
Taking charge of the Super Cup of Africa in 1999 and Ivory Coast at the level of the Arab Championships capped by an impressive 14 Arab Championship which he has been in the middle for more than 45 games.
In the late 90’s he was incharge of six finals where he took part in the FIFA Youth World Cup that took place in Qatar in 1995 and refereed three matches of the Olympic Games of Atlanta in 1996 and ran 4 games one being between Brazil and Portugal.
During the 1998 FIFA World Cup he was in charge of three games the most important quarter-final match between Brazil and Denmark.
He was also at the centre during the Confederations Cup Korea 2001, and ran a doubleheader opening the semi-final between Brazil and France 2002 FIFA world Cup three games, one of them quarterfinal between Korea and Spain were also sentenced in the European Nations Cup in 2000 in Belgium and Holand.
Ghandour who is considered as one of top officials ever in Africa also was the man in the middle in Asian Nations Cup hosted in UAE 1996 and refereed three matches, including the semi-final between Saudi Arabia Iran and big friendlies between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain verses Esperance and Real Madrid.
He also featured in club games in Italy and was the man incharge in the 199 final between Iraq and Jordan in the Arab Games.
