NO NEW FIFA REFS FOR ESWATINI

MBABANE – Eswatini’s international referees’ list for 2020 will reportedly remain unchanged.

The deadline to nominate international referees for the upcoming year was on October 1, 2019.  Impeccable sources suggested that Eswatini opted to maintain the current list, which is headlined by the duo of Thembinkosi Dlamini and Thulani Sibandze. The former got his FIFA badge last year and he replaced Mbongiseni Fakudze. To add new faces to the list, others should make way. There are four male assistant referees who are accredited by FIFA in the country. In no particular order, the assistants are Thembinkosi Magagula, Petros Mbingo, Sifiso Nxumalo and Zamani Simelane.

In the female category, the country has the likes of Tencwala Soko, Leticia Vianna, Buyisile Mkhaliphi and Siphiwayinkhosi Nxumalo.  The last two are assistant referees. Referees Manager Sifiso Zondo could not shed light on the issue, saying he was yet to get a correspondence from the Referees Committee regarding the matter. FIFA, through a September 2, 2019 correspondence from Acting Deputy Secretary General Mattias Grafström, had reminded all member associations to submit the list by the first day of this month. The proposed referees shall be at least 25 years old (23 years old in the case of assistants) on January 1 of the year for which they have been nominated. “Referees must be born no later than December 31, 1994.  Assistant referees must be born no later than December 31, 1996 in order to ensure a minimum level of experience,” read a correspondence from the world soccer governing body.  FIFA reserves the right to require referees over the age of 45 (born in 1975 or before) to undergo additional technical assessments as well as specific medical examinations and fitness testing on a case-by-case basis.

Each candidate must be ranked based on the marks obtained for officiating games at the national level during the 12 months prior to being nominated to the list of international referees.
At a minimum, all nominated referees must pass a FIFA-approved fitness test and a medical examination on or after June 2, 2019. Meanwhile, having a FIFA badge comes with countless benefits. On top of officiating in high-profile matches in the country, international referees get selected to man games outside Eswatini and get remunerated handsomely in US Dollars.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: