{{Short description|Gabonese football referee (born 1992)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox football official | name = Pierre Atcho | image = | caption = | birth_name = Pierre Ghislain Atcho | birth_date = {{Year of birth and age|1992}} | birth_place = Gabon | death_date = | death_place = | otheroccupation = | years1 = ??–present | league1 = Football in Gabon | role1 = *Referee | internationalyears1 = 2018–present | confederation1 = FIFA listed | internationalrole1 = *Referee }}
'''Pierre Ghislain Atcho'''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Muyita |first1=Joel |title=AFCON 2025: CAF names match officials for semifinals |url=https://kawowo.com/2026/01/13/afcon-2025-caf-names-match-officials-for-semifinals/ |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Kawowo Sports |date=13 January 2026}}</ref> (born 1992<ref name="dob">{{cite news |last1=Atar |first1=Amadou |title=Coupe du Monde 2026 : les sept arbitres africains retenus par la FIFA |url=https://www.afrik.com/coupe-du-monde-2026-les-sept-arbitres-africains-retenus-par-la-fifa |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Afrik.com |date=10 April 2026 |language=fr}}</ref>) is a Gabonese football referee who has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2018.
== Career == After earning his FIFA badge, Atcho began refereeing in international-level matches, including the 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup, where a led a group stage match between the Libyan club Al Nasr Benghazi SC and Bidvest Wits F.C. of South Africa.<ref>{{cite news |title=AL Nasr SC Benghazi vs Bidvest Wits: score en direct |url=https://tribuna.com/fr/match/al-nasr-benghazi-vs-bidvest-wits/ |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Tribuna.com |date=12 January 2020 |language=fr}}</ref> Atcho has also taken part in CAF Champions League editions, including a second leg semifinal between AS FAR and RS Berkane, both from Morocco.<ref>{{cite news |title=CAF Champions League: referees for the semi-finals announced |url=https://foot-africa.com/en/news/caf-champions-league-referees-for-the-semi-finals-announced-1148579/ |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Foot Africa |date=1 April 2026}}</ref> Among his biggest matches are the 2023 CAF Super Cup between Al Ahly SC (Egypt) and USM Alger (Algeria), a knockout-stage game at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and a semi-final between Senegal and Egypt at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stevens |first1=Rob |title=Senegal v. Egypt |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/ce8rg4263y1t#Line-ups |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=BBC Sport |date=14 January 2026}}</ref>
Atcho has been part of refereeing teams for youth tournaments within the Confederation of African Football, including the 2019 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania, where he oversaw a group-stage match between Guinea and Morocco.<ref>{{cite news |title=Guinea U17 vs. Morocco U17 |url=https://tribuna.com/en/match/guinea-u17-vs-morocco-u17/ |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Tribuna.com |date=21 April 2019}}</ref> In November of that year, Atcho led a group-stage group in the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.<ref>{{cite news |title=MALI 0-2 GHANA |url=https://www.flashfootball.com/match/ghana-W2Ai6xwQ/mali-Q3dVyWWf/?mid=pIoFlwkF |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=FlashFootball |date=14 November 2019}}</ref> In the 2021 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Atcho reached to a semi-final game between Uganda and Tunisia.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaweru |first1=Franklin |title=AFCON U20: Kakooza hattrick sends Uganda Hippos to finals |url=https://kawowo.com/2021/03/02/afcon-u20-kakooza-hattrick-sends-uganda-hippos-to-finals/ |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Kawowo Sports |date=2 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Uganda U20 v Tunisia U20 |url=https://tribuna.com/fr/match/tunisia-u20-vs-uganda-u20/pronostic/ |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Tribuna.com |date=1 March 2021 |language=fr}}</ref>
In May 2026, Atcho was chosen as the main referee of the second-leg final of the 2026 CAF Confederation Cup final match between the Egyptian club Zamalek SC and the Algerian team USM Alger at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo.<ref name="lexpression" /> Atcho was assisted by fellow Gabonese Boris Marlais and Amos Ndong, while Patrick Mbaïa, also from Gabon, served as the fourth official.<ref name="lexpression" /> At the VAR, assisting Atcho were Tunisian referee Haythem Guirat along with Maria River of Mauritius and Carine Fomo of Cameroon.<ref name="lexpression">{{cite news |last1=Mekki |first1=Saïd |title=Coupe de la CAF {{!}} L’USM Alger concentrée sur le Zamalek |url=https://www.lexpressiondz.com/sports/l-usm-alger-concentree-sur-le-zamalek-405351 |access-date=5 May 2026 |work=L'Expression |date=5 May 2026 |language=fr}}</ref>
Outside CAF competitions, Atcho oversaw matches at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, including a round of 16 game between Spain and Japan in Surakarta.<ref>{{cite news |last1=García |first1=Ramón |title=España - Japón: resumen, resultado y goles |url=https://www.marca.com/futbol/mundial-sub-17/espana-japon/2023/11/20/01_01129_20231120_9681_9143-directo.html |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=MARCA |date=20 November 2023 |language=es}}</ref> He has been selected by FIFA to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a central referee, accompanied by assistant referees Boris Ditsoga and Amos Abeigne Ndong, also from Gabon.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nze Mengoue |first1=Michael |title=Mondial 2026 : Trois arbitres gabonais retenus dont Pierre Ghislain Atcho |url=https://clubsportplus.fr/la-fifa-publie-la-liste-des-arbitres-retenus-pour-la-coupe-du-monde-2026 |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=ClubSportPlus |date=10 April 2026 |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=List of appointed FIFA Match Officials |url=https://digitalhub.fifa.com/asset/7879a8c6-c228-4848-a8de-7dc69b37b594/Final-List-of-Match-Officials-FWC-2026.pdf |access-date=12 April 2026 |work=Inside FIFA |date=9 April 2026}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{2026 FIFA World Cup referees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atcho, Pierre}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Gabonese football referees Category:21st-century Gabonese sportsmen Category:2026 FIFA World Cup referees Category:Africa Cup of Nations referees