E36 000 PAYOUT FOR ESWATINI REFS

MBABANE – Every cloud has a silver lining.

This adage holds true for three local match officials who will be smiling all the way to the bank after officiating in one of the high profile international friendly matches between South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and Zambia yesterday.

The trio of Thulani Sibandze, Zamani Simelane and Sifiso Nxumalo are expected to earn about E12 000 (US$750) each with a total of about E36 000. The international friendly that was televised live on SABC 1 yesterday afternoon was played at Royal Bafokeng Stadium, South Africa.

Bafana Bafana lost the match played in an empty stadium 2-1. The teams are preparing for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers next month.

suspended

Local referees have been out of action since March 13, 2020, when football was suspended in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result have not been earning anything since football was suspended. The trio, led by the experienced Sibandze, were the first to take to the field during the international friendly after seven months of no football action. 

Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe confirmed that the referees were requested by the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) for the assignment as they were FIFA accredited match officials.

Radebe said the issue of the referee’s allowances was between the referees and SAFA and they only prepared paperwork for the referees to travel. He said the referees left the country on Saturday and they were expected back home today.

A source close to the matter confirmed that the referees were going to be paid according to the FIFA and CAF standards, which stipulate that each match official receives around E12 000 (US$750) for an international match. 

“It is a FIFA week and the referees are expected to be paid handsomely. All their expenses of the trip including transport, accommodation and meals are also catered for by the hosts, of which this time around is SAFA,” said the source.

Referees are paid E290 in the country for a league match under the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) and E450 for a knockout tournament. Early this year the ‘men in black’ demanded an increment of 55 per cent and that can see them getting about E450 per league match and about E600 for a knockout game.

Local referees are the lowest paid in the Southern African region as in neighbouring country South Africa, each match official gets about E5 000 per match. Each referee in the country earns between E2 000 and E3 000 per month including travelling allowances depending on the number of games officiated in that month.

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