REIGNING Referee of the Year Ruzive Ruzive is missing from the list officials that have been approved by the FIFA Referees Committee for the 2018 international lists.

The controversial referee was named Zimbabwe’s best referee for the 2017 season, bagging the award for the second consecutive year.

However, Ruzive is not part of the referees approved by FIFA.

Norman Matemera, Nomore Musundire and Pilan Ncube are the Zimbabwean referees on the FIFA panel.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association Referees Committee is pleased to announce that the following referees and assistant referees have been approved by the FIFA Referees Committee for the 2018 international lists,” read a statement from ZIFA.

Kusosa Thomas, Mhara Luckson, Rumeck Edgar, Nkala Tafadzwa, Nyika Brighton and Ncube Salani are the approved male assistant referees.

The female referees on the FIFA list are Majo Rusina, Mayimbo Mercy and Nyahuye Thanks

The female assistant referees are Simango Claris, Ruvinga Stella and Mloyi Faith.

“The Referees Committee is confident that the selected officials will continue to raise the Zimbabwean flag higher by performing at their optimum. All but two (Nkala Tafadzwa and Mayimbo Mercy) were on the FIFA panel in 2017,” ZIFA said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.