Turkish referee Çakır to officiate World Cup semifinal match

ISTANBUL

Referee Cüneyt Çakır gestures during the group H World Cup match between Algeria and Russia. AP Photo

Referee Cüneyt Çakır has been assigned to officiate the World Cup semifinal match between the Netherlands and Argentina, reaching a new high in Turkish footballing history.

Çakır, who became only the second Turk to officiate a World Cup game following Doğan Babacan’s assignment in 1970, will work alongside fellow assistants Bahattin Duran and Tarık Ongun.

The 37-year-old previously officiated the World Cup Group A game between host Brazil and Mexico on June 17.

Çakır’s previous high points were officiating a semifinal game during the 2012 European Football Championships.

He has also officiated UEFA Champions League and Europa League semifinals matches before.