18 Oct 2016

The importance of a referee in the game cannot be over-emphasised. 

   Without the referee there is no game, hence FIFA and CAF found it prudent to over time drill, more middle-men and women of the game. 

Officiating at the non CAF-FIFA referees course, Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Dikgang Makgalemele said all the referees who were in Botswana for the course were chosen to be part of the noble section of football because of their mutual passion for conducting the game of football.

What the referee should bear in mind, he said was the fact that at any time during a match, they needed to communicate message of confidence, control, calmness, positive, intensity and fairness.

Again, Makgalemele who is a former Botswana Football Association president said there was no referee who is immune from criticism.

During their assignments, he said they should not try to be tough. 

Instead, he said they should be relaxed,  firm and show confidence.

Furthermore, he said referees should also isolate facts from emotions and base decisions on facts for fair and accurate decisions. 

He added that decisions made on lack of evidence were always difficult to provide clarification and justifications.

FIFA referee instructor, Carlos Henriques said the course was their second project which they started last year in conjunction with CAF in Tanzania.

 He said the project was aimed at helping future referees in FIFA.

All the referees who would be drilled in the course, he said were non-FIFA referees, but were all aspiring to be accredited in the football governing body panel.

Furthermore, Henriques said expectations were that the referees would be included in the FIFA panel before or after 2022 Qatar World Cup. 

Referees from 15 countries in English speaking countries  in Africa are attending the course, which started on Monday and ends on Friday. ENDS