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Lovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
FORMER Zimbabwe football referee of the year Felix Tangawarima is impressed with the aptitude of the local match officials and assessors which he described as competitive.
Tangawarima who is in charge of referees’ development in Africa, but based in Botswana said this on the sidelines of a Zifa panel referees’ workshop which began on Monday. He said he had a workout with match assessors which began on Friday last week in the city and ended on Sunday.

“We worked late into the day and gave them assignments to do. We were impressed with the high standards of their presentations. Unlike in the past when we had complaints about lack of consistency among them, from the workshop they exhibited high standards of improvement and application.

“Even from the tests we gave them they were able to score 20 out of 20 showing their high standards. So they are good supervisors of referees. They are doing very well and we hope just like the referees they translate that to the field of play where football is played,” said Tangawarima.

He also had good words for the referees who he said were impressing in the grueling workshop which has both practical and theoretical aspects.

“We have what we call integrated training sessions where we have practicals followed by theory sessions where we review situations. I can tell you the referees are impressive showing high aptitude standards. Local referees have been active this year because they are among the best,” said the Fifa employee.

Tangawarima said Zimbabwe had to be proud that Minda High School teacher Salani Ncube, the country’s top assistant referee had been the best student at a workshop for African referees held in Cameroon earlier in the year.

“Salani Ncube was the best when it came to physical fitness, best in class and practicals during the workshops. There is a future for local referees,” said Tangawarima.

The Premier Soccer League came for some praises as well. They provided transport for referees and equipment from Harare. He said in the past the PSL, the recipients of the finished product had not come to the party.

“This is the beginning of better things to come. It is a very positive development because as the PSL they get the finished product which is our trained referees,” said Tangawarima.

He emphasized the need for the media, referees, coaches, administrators and players to work together harmoniously in a bid to keep football a competitive and marketable brand.

Meanwhile, Tendayi Bwanya, the secretary-general of the Zifa Referees Committee, said 35 of the 62 Zifa panel referees were taking part in the workshop.

He paid tribute to Fifa for its benevolence.
Bwanya said the workshop was an annual event being held every August to accommodate teachers who constitute the highest number of participants.

“During any other time they will be occupied at work. They are the biggest number among the participants so we hold the course in August during the holidays so that kids are not inconvenienced,” said Bwanya.

The referees’ course ends tomorrow.
Asked whether those who fail would be demoted, Bwanya said this was just a refresher course.

He said the committee would at some stage before the end of the year meet to decide who should be recommended to be retained on the Fifa panel or to join it.

On the sidelines of the workshop there has been a physical fitness trainers course attended by 11 instructors. Notable among them is former Fifa panel official Alfred Zindove.

Mark Mzengo of Malawi is the instructor.
Among some of the local football personalities who have been assisting during the workshops are Sabelo Maphosa, Brighton Mudzamiri, Ndabezinhle Ncube, Wilfred Mukuna and Gladmore Muzambi.

The chairperson of the referees’ body John Phiri has also been in attendance.
What was notable among those who attended the referees’ workshop is that a good number are below 32 assured of another 13 years in the game and a likelihood of being involved at major tournaments if they continue to excel.

Only Mudzamiri has been to the World Cup finals and that remains a challenge for local officials while Tangawarima’s 11-time winning streak of the top local award for referees’ looks to stand for a long time.

There have been very few consistent performers over the years.