PRAISE FOR SAB WOMEN REFEREES TRAINING CAMP
TOP Eastern Cape woman Premier Soccer League and Caf referee Akhona Makalima has applauded South African Breweries’ partnership with the South African Football Association for empowering match officials.
As many as 30 SAB League officials from all over the country, including four from the Eastern Cape, are taking part in a week-long skills camp at the University of Pretoria high-performance centre.
They are doing theoretical and practical training and the camp will conclude with a fitness test on Saturday.
Makalima, of Ngqamakhwe, has attended some of the classes and shared her experiences and knowledge with the younger referees who are aspiring to reach her level one day.
The 30-year-old said she was im- pressed with how attentive and interactive the officials had been during the class sessions.
“I see a lot of passion in their eyes and their enthusiasm,” she said.
“You see that these young boys and girls are hungry for refereeing.
“I see that South Africa has a bright future in terms of refereeing in football, so we thank SAB and Safa for programmes like these.”
With some of the referees already officiating in the ABC Motsepe League and SAB League, Makalima said this initiative would help improve their craft.
Silvester Ndaba, a former Fifa referee and former referees chairman, said the programme was in line with the 2020 Safa vision of development.
“There are 16 women referees and only 14 males,” Ndaba said. “We have a very good reputation for producing good referees, both female and male.”