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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
TWO Zimbabwe referees have been dropped from the elite Fifa referees panel for 2018, while the same number has been promoted.

Female centre referee Tambudzai Tawengwa, who failed a fitness test late last year, was booted out of the panel and replaced by 28-year-old Chipo Mayimbo. Assistant male referee Wirimai Muroiwa, who had been on the panel for just two years, was also struck off the list, with Tafadzwa Nkala joining the elite group on the Fifa international list.

Zimbabwe has 15 match officials on the Fifa panel after Norman Matemera, Nomore Musundire and Pilan Ncube were retained as centre referees together with controversy tainted Thomas Kusosa, Luckmore Mhara, Edgar Rumeck and the Bulawayo duo of Salani Ncube and Brighton Nyika.

Female officials Rusina Majo and Thanks Nyahuye retained their places alongside assistant referees Sekai Simango, Stella Ruvinga and Faith Mloyi.

“Please note that all referees are required to sign their ID cards, signifying strict compliance with all Fifa regulations, including the Laws of the Game, the Fifa Code of Ethics and the Fifa Code of Conduct. The back of the ID card contains a short statement of integrity along with the email address to report any suspicious or illegal activities,” said Fifa deputy secretary-general responsible for football Zvonimir Boban in a communiqué to national associations announcing new referees for the year.

Zimbabwe Referees Committee vice-chairman Gladmore Mzambi congratulated the listed referees and said they were hopeful the officials would raise the national flag higher.

“On behalf of the Zifa president and executive committee, we pass our congratulations to the officials that have been selected. The referees committee is confident that the selected officials will continue to raise the Zimbabwean flag higher by performing optimum levels,” said Mzambi.

The final nomination of the referees lies with the Fifa referees committee, led by iconic retired Italian Pierluigi Collina.

According to the nominating procedure, member associations shall observe that candidates may be nominated for only one list.

Member associations that do not have an organised league may not make any nominations.

The maximum number of referees from each association shall be decided annually by the Fifa Referees Committee, taking the following factors, among others, into account, the level of refereeing of each association, the level of competitions of each association, the professional level of each association’s competitions.

All proposed referees shall be at least 25 years old (23 years old in the case of assistant referees) on January 1 of the year for which they have been nominated.

The proposed referees shall have officiated regularly at matches in the highest division in their country for at least two years.

Only candidates that have officiated more often as assistant referees than as referees in the previous 12 months may be considered for the list of international assistant referees

The proposed referees shall have passed the appropriate Fifa fitness test related to the list they belong to within the four months prior to the deadline for nomination for the lists of international referees and assistant referees. They shall also have passed a medical examination certifying that they are fit to act as referees within the four months prior to the deadline for nomination for the lists of international referees (after June 1).

Fifa reserves the right to require referees over the age of 45 to undergo additional technical assessments as well as specific medical examinations and fitness testing on a case-by-case basis.

Only women referees or women assistant referees who have passed Fifa’s physical fitness test set for men may be nominated for men’s tournaments or matches.

The member associations shall supply Fifa with the rankings of the proposed referees based on the marks obtained at national level. These rankings shall apply only to First Division matches at which they have officiated in the 12 months prior to their nomination.

The Fifa Referees Committee shall decide which nominations will be accepted for the lists of international referees, assistant referees, futsal referees and beach soccer referees. The committee may consult the confederations before reaching a decision.

The Fifa Referees Committee also reserves the right to suspend or eliminate any international referee, assistant referee, futsal referee or beach soccer referee from the lists on grounds of mediocrity, indiscipline or for any other justifiable reason, while member associations to which international referees belong may request the same Fifa Referees Committee in writing to suspend or remove a referee from the list for any justifiable reason. — @skhumoyo2000