Webb still in with final chance

HOWARD WEBB is still in with a chance of refereeing the World Cup final after he was one of 10 referees retained by FIFA yesterday until the end of the tournament.

The Yorkshire official has impressed FIFA’s referees chiefs but he was not one of the officials appointed to either of the semi-finals. Webb, who turns 39 two days after the July 12 final in Johannesburg, and his team of Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey will however stay on in South Africa – nine of the 19 teams have been sent home.

FIFA will announce the final referee on Thursday or Friday, and Webb’s chances may have increased by the fact that two of his main rivals have been given a semi-final.

Ravshan Irmatov, from Uzbekistan, will take charge of Uruguay v Netherlands in Cape Town while Hungarian official Viktor Kassai will referee the Germany v Spain semi-final in Durban.