FIFA MA REFEREES INSTRUCTORS’COURSE OFFICIALLY OPENED
The FIFA MA Referees Instructors’ Course was officially opened by the EFA’s Vice President Steve Horton. This course is implemented at the EFA’s Technical Centre in Lobamba. In his opening remarks, the EFA’s Vice President Steve Horton highlighted about the importance of this course. “FIFA experts, your assignment, is very essential and crucial one; as you have come to train the trainers’ of our referees; which is central to the continued development and performance of referees in the game of football. The training of our instructors is therefore pivotal, hence our gratitude to FIFA for this MA Instructors Course,” Horton said.
He also expressed that currently, the referees are under severe pressure to deliver. “In current times referees have been under severe pressure from the games ‘participants and spectators alike, especially after the introduction of novel technologies to aid in this decision-making, which unfortunately, owing to the huge capital outlay require to establish such a construct, it is still a challenge”, Horton said. As an effort to catch-up with the latest executed technology in the field of refereeing the EFA as from the upcoming football season will try to implement video technologies. “As an association, in the interim before the introduction of the new revered VAR, we have decided to innovate and will in the new season try to implement video technology in selected matches and venues, especially to consolidate the assessment, which we believe will culminate to the improvement of the performance of our referees”, Horton said.
Speaking on behalf of FIFA was Ms Gladys Lengwe from Zambia who is one of the FIFA Instructors specializing on the technical aspect of refereeing whilst Bento Navesse from Mozambique specializes on the Physical Fitness aspect. “Development in FIFA is of paramount importance. Football is dynamic; thus, the instructors must be trained in latest football trends”, Lengwe said. She also urged the participants to invest in themselves. “Invest in yourselves as we want to see a male referee competing in the highest level as we already have at least a female referee by the name of Letticia Viana,” Horton said.
