The World football’s governing body (FIFA), have rescheduled the “kick off” for Senegal - Gambia derby match in the final match of the first round qualifying for the 2010 joint World Cup and Nations Cup qualifiers.

The keenly awaited west African derby tie, which was earlier scheduled to kick off at 13:00 hours, has now been pushed to 16:00 hours, Observer Sports can reveal.
The initial timing, according to Wal Fadjri Sports, was not approved by the Senegal football authorities who later filed a protest letter to FIFA headquarters in Zurich for the kick off to be changed to a lenient temperature.

Mr Saer Seck, the vice president of the Senegal Normalization Committee, told Wal Fadjri Sports that the first timing could endanger the players of both teams since the temperature at such hour is more than 35 degrees in Senegal and in almost all other African countries.

“This is an hour at which it is impossible to let the players play, especially professionals,' Saer Seck, who was relief at the change of the timing, was quoted as saying.

“After sending the protest letter to FIFA, we had to call and defend our case. The physical integrity of the players would have been strongly threatened if the encounter was to be played at 13:00 hours,” he added.

The Gambia are currently second in Group 6 table with eight points. In case Algeria beat Liberia in Monrovia the Scorpions could still progress to the final stage of the joint qualifiers as one of the eight best losers if they avoid defeat against Senegal.

Should Liberia upset Algeria however, though a least probability, the Scorpions will fetch the group’s automatic ticket to the next phase if they beat the Terenga Lions in Dakar.
Match officials

Meanwhile, FIFA have named the match officials for the October 11 encounter at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar.

Tunisian Bannaceur Kacem has been named as the central referee, while Hassani Bechir and Saadallah Chokri, both Tunisians, will serve as his first and second assistant referees respectively.

Moroccan Alem Karim will serve as the match commissioner, while Ousseine Diolla from Ivory Coast will take charge as the security officer.