Headlines like “We Waz Robbed”, and “USA Fans: It’s Cups & Robbers” in New York on Saturday morning made the sentiment of American soccer fans clear following the nation’s World Cup 2-2 draw with Slovenia.
And the man in their sights was rookie referee Korman Coulibaly, who the New York Post reported has a history of dubious calls.
Throughout his 10 years as a referee for the international soccer organization FIFA, Coulibaly — a 39-year-old Malian who was born on the Fourth of July — has been a divisive figure with his seemingly arbitrary blows of the whistle.
Before Friday’s debacle — his first and likely last appearance on a World Cup field — Coulibaly angered fans for ignoring blatant fouls in a January match between Egypt and Ghana.
Four years ago, in a World Cup qualifying match between Cameroon and Egypt, he left everyone scratching their heads when he allowed a penalty kick during the final minutes of added injury time — a controversial and rare call for a tied game.
Coulibaly, a financial auditor for the Malian government, was also subject to taunting on a Facebook page set up by Tunisian fans furious over his calls against their team.
A profile in promotional materials for the World Cup says the referee “believes that the greatest challenge facing referees today is always trying to minimize errors with the goal of reaching a zero error rate, something difficult given that the football is becoming increasingly faster as a result of scientific research and investment.”
Coulibaly — who never made it beyond playing college soccer — has long been referred to as “Sleepy Eyes” for his heavy eyelids.
On his FIFA web page, Coulibaly, who has refereed five Africa Cup events between 2002 and 2010, lists his hobby as volleyball — not soccer.
All day Friday, angry fans defaced Coulibaly’s Wikipedia page.
“Coulibaly is rumored to hate the United States of America with the burning passion of a white-hot sun,” one poster wrote.
New Facebook pages sprouted up throughout the day with titles like “America hates Koman Coulibaly” and “You suck! Find another job!”
But fans can take solace in knowing that Coulibaly likely won’t be back for another World Cup.
Given his horrendous call, officials probably won’t use him again during this tournament, and FIFA caps its age for referees at 40.