Australian video assistant referee official Shaun Evans has been appointed for New Zealand’s World Cup Group G clash against Egypt in Vancouver, marking his first assignment since FIFA cleared him following an investigation into a controversial hand gesture.
The 38-year-old will serve as assistant VAR to Mohammed Khamid for Sunday’s match after world football’s governing body concluded there was no evidence he had breached FIFA’s disciplinary code.
Evans came under scrutiny during Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao when television cameras briefly focused on the VAR team at the referee hub in Dallas.
During the broadcast, Evans appeared to make an upside-down “OK” hand gesture, a symbol that has been associated with white supremacist groups in some contexts.
The incident quickly sparked debate on social media, prompting FIFA to launch an investigation.
In a statement released through FIFA, Evans strongly denied intentionally making any political or ideological gesture.
“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” Evans said.
“I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this."
"However, I want to be very clear that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested.”
Evans explained that footage from inside the VAR room showed the movement was involuntary and repeated several times while he was holding a pen.
“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers,” he added.
“Officiating at the World Cup is the greatest honour of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues throughout the rest of the tournament.”
Following its review, FIFA announced that it had found “no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code” and confirmed no action would be taken against the official.
The incident also appears to have led to a change in FIFA’s pre-match broadcast presentation.
Before the Germany-Curacao match, referees and VAR officials had been shown briefly posing for the cameras as their names and roles were displayed on screen.
Since then, broadcasts have continued to identify the VAR teams, but officials are now shown already focused on their monitors rather than looking directly at the camera.
With the investigation closed, Evans returns to World Cup duty as New Zealand prepare for a crucial encounter with Egypt.
