TOP REF BHEKIZIZWE MKHABELA RETIRES

MBABANE – Long-serving FIFA accredited Assistant Referee Bhekizizwe Mkhabela has retired.

The 41-year-old seasoned official, who was left with four years before the official retirement period, announced the quitting yesterday.
“I believe that I have served my time in football for 20 years since 1994. I have been a FIFA referee since 2000. I have communicated my retirement to some of my colleagues already and I am going home to rest,” he said.

Mkhabela started his career as a regional referee at the Malkerns Regional League in 1994 and two years later he was made a Premier League referee where his skills were horned by the likes of Mangaliso Sihlongonyane and Enock Nkambule.

Mkhabela said he was proud to have been in the game for such a long time where he officiated in games involving Africa’s great players such as Kalusha Bwalya, Lucas Radebe and Marks Maponyane.

“I can’t regret anything in football because I believe I executed my duties well. I have made several calls that, when I look back, I feel proud of myself.  One of those incidents include the recent one in a game between South Africa and Lesotho in an international friendly match in Lesotho where I rightly allowed Tlou Segolela’s goal to stand despite that many people thought he was in an offside position. It was good to be vindicated by the television replay on SABC’s Soccer Zone,” he said.

He said locally he made a number of decisions, including several retakes during penalty shoot-outs which many disputed.
“I was not afraid because I believed those were good calls,” he said.

He said a number of upcoming officials were capable of taking over the baton from him, but said he was proud to have been the member of the country’s first elite panel which also included Simanga Nhleko, Petros Mbingo and Mbongiseni Fakudze.

“They were my senior colleagues after a number of officials who we were promoted together with had retired. They comprised of Gilbert Dlamini, Elphas Ngcamphalala and Frank Mlangeni,” Mkhabela said.

Referees Committee Chairman Elphas Ngcamphalala confirmed that Mkhabela has retired.
“He can be a role model to others especially after retiring without being pushed out by things like fitness tests. We believe there is now a need to groom others and try to close the gap through the ongoing courses,” he said.

Mkhabela was among the six FIFA accredited referees which comprised of Simanga Nhleko, Mbongiseni Fakudze, Mandla Gama, Petros Mbingo and Sifiso Nxumalo.

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