Koman Coulibaly
Encyclopedia
Koman Coulibaly is a Mali
an football referee
. He has been a full international referee for FIFA
since 1999, and officiated his first international match on April 19, 2000, between Mali
and Burkina Faso
. Coulibaly is one of Mali's most experienced officials, having been selected for five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. Outside of Africa, Coulibaly became the subject of international press coverage after officiating the 2010 World Cup match between the USA
and Slovenia
, where he called a disputed foul that negated an 85th-minute play in which Maurice Edu
put the ball into the Slovenian goal.
, and is a financial enforcement inspector for the government of Mali. He began his refereeing career in 1994 with the District de Bamako league, then for Ligue 1 championnat national, and was finally promoted as a Fédération Malienne de Football
official in 1999. Coulibaly has courted controversy for some of his past decisions. Officiating Cameroon
's final 2006 World Cup qualifier
against Egypt on 8 October 2005, Coulibaly ruled a disputed stoppage-time penalty against Egypt, while tied 1–1. Cameroon did not convert the penalty, which would have taken them through to the finals.
, the 2004 African Cup of Nations
in Tunisia
, the 2006 African Cup of Nations
in Egypt
, the 2008 African Cup of Nations
in Ghana
, and the 2010 African Cup of Nations
in Angola
. Coulibaly officiated the final of the of 2010 African Cup of Nations between Ghana
and Egypt.
in October 2008, one of 32 referees selected for the tournament and one of four African officials.
On 18 June 2010, Coulibaly officiated the Group C
match between the United States
and Slovenia
. In the 86th minute, Coulibaly called a foul
against the U.S. during a play in which U.S. player Maurice Edu
kicked the ball into the Slovenian goal. The decision to disallow the goal was criticized in the international sports press. The goal would have put the American side ahead 3–2; the match ended in a 2–2 draw. Per FIFA policy, Coulibaly has never publicly stated what the foul was or who it was on. The United States won Group C and advanced to the second round of the tournament, while Slovenia did not advance.
Though Coulibaly was fourth official in a later match between Italy and New Zealand, he did not serve as referee in any other first round matches prior to or following this match and was not chosen to officiate in the second round and beyond, making this his only appearance as referee in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
and Ismaily SC
during the group stage of the CAF Champions League
. Al-Ahly scored 4 minutes into extra time to win the match, while Coulibaly did not call a foul by an Al-Ahly player in the buildup to the goal.
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
an football referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
. He has been a full international referee for FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
since 1999, and officiated his first international match on April 19, 2000, between Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
and Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso national football team
The Burkina Faso national football team, nicknamed Les Etalons , is the national team of Burkina Faso and is controlled by the Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball. They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso...
. Coulibaly is one of Mali's most experienced officials, having been selected for five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Outside of Africa, Coulibaly became the subject of international press coverage after officiating the 2010 World Cup match between the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, where he called a disputed foul that negated an 85th-minute play in which Maurice Edu
Maurice Edu
Maurice Edu is an American soccer player who plays for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League and the United States national team.- Early life :...
put the ball into the Slovenian goal.
Early career
Coulibaly has a degree from the Faculté des Sciences Juridiques et Économiques (Faculty of Legal and Economic Sciences) at the University of BamakoUniversity of Bamako
The University of Bamako is a public university in Bamako, the capital of Mali. It is also known as the University of Mali.Opened in 1996, in has brought together nine campuses across the city. The institiution created by Law 93-060 of September 1993, but only launched in November 1996. It was...
, and is a financial enforcement inspector for the government of Mali. He began his refereeing career in 1994 with the District de Bamako league, then for Ligue 1 championnat national, and was finally promoted as a Fédération Malienne de Football
Fédération Malienne de Football
Fédération Malienne de Football is the Malian Soccer Federation founded in 1960. It joined the Confederation of African Football in 1962 and has been affiliated with FIFA since 1964. Its first general secretary was Garan Fabou Kouyate...
official in 1999. Coulibaly has courted controversy for some of his past decisions. Officiating Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
's final 2006 World Cup qualifier
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Africa. 51 teams took part , competing for 5 World Cup places.The qualification was composed of two Rounds...
against Egypt on 8 October 2005, Coulibaly ruled a disputed stoppage-time penalty against Egypt, while tied 1–1. Cameroon did not convert the penalty, which would have taken them through to the finals.
African Cup of Nations
He was selected as a referee for the 2002 African Cup of Nations in MaliMali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, the 2004 African Cup of Nations
2004 African Cup of Nations
The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, the 2006 African Cup of Nations
2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the 2008 African Cup of Nations
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football . The tournament was staged at...
in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, and the 2010 African Cup of Nations
2010 African Cup of Nations
The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football championship of Africa...
in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. Coulibaly officiated the final of the of 2010 African Cup of Nations between Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
and Egypt.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Coulibaly was preselected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in October 2008, one of 32 referees selected for the tournament and one of four African officials.
On 18 June 2010, Coulibaly officiated the Group C
2010 FIFA World Cup Group C
Group C of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 23 June 2010. The group consisted of England, the United States, Algeria, and Slovenia...
match between the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
. In the 86th minute, Coulibaly called a foul
Foul
-In sports:*Foul , an unfair or illegal sports act, including:**Foul , in football , an unfair act by a player as deemed by the referee...
against the U.S. during a play in which U.S. player Maurice Edu
Maurice Edu
Maurice Edu is an American soccer player who plays for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League and the United States national team.- Early life :...
kicked the ball into the Slovenian goal. The decision to disallow the goal was criticized in the international sports press. The goal would have put the American side ahead 3–2; the match ended in a 2–2 draw. Per FIFA policy, Coulibaly has never publicly stated what the foul was or who it was on. The United States won Group C and advanced to the second round of the tournament, while Slovenia did not advance.
Though Coulibaly was fourth official in a later match between Italy and New Zealand, he did not serve as referee in any other first round matches prior to or following this match and was not chosen to officiate in the second round and beyond, making this his only appearance as referee in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
2010 CAF Champions League
Coulibaly had to be escorted off the pitch after the match between Al-AhlyAl-Ahly
Al-Ahly Sports Club , commonly known as simply Al-Ahly, is an Egyptian sporting club. Founded in April 1907, Al-Ahly was named in 2000 by the Confederation of African Football as the "African Club of the Century"...
and Ismaily SC
Ismaily SC
The Ismaily Sporting Club is a club, established in 1924 as Nahda Sporting Club, based in Ismaïlia, Egypt. The club is best known for its football team....
during the group stage of the CAF Champions League
2010 CAF Champions League
The 2010 CAF Champions League was the 46th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football , and the 14th edition under the current CAF Champions League format...
. Al-Ahly scored 4 minutes into extra time to win the match, while Coulibaly did not call a foul by an Al-Ahly player in the buildup to the goal.
External links
- 2010 FIFA World Cup Profile
- Koman Coulibaly:biography, WorldReferee.com