Zim referees urged to be calm ahead of Fifa tests
ZIMBABWE referees have been urged not to panic as the deadline for the submission of nominations for the 2017 Fifa referees lists draws closer.
Their leadership is adamant that they will meet the October 2 deadline.
All nominated referees must pass a Fifa approved fitness and medical examination on or after June 2 and Zimbabwe has not had that test since that time. The first and last test they did was way back in April, raising fears and panic within the referees that the deadline day might arrive without any test being done which will spell disaster for them as they will not be eligible for consideration in the prestigious Fifa list.
However, the newly appointed Zimbabwe Referees Committee deputy chairperson Gladmore Muzambi yesterday said all was in place for the referees to be taken through their paces.
“We are running around trying to organise that but I can assure you and the nation that we are going to meet the October 2 deadline,” said the retired referee, himself a certified referees instructor.
He said they would be in a position to give the exact examination date by today or tomorrow.
“The proposed referees shall be at least 25 years old (23 years old in the case of assistant referees) on 1 January of the year for which they have been nominated.
“Referees must be born no later than 12.31.1991 and assistant referees must be born no later than 12.31.1993 in order to ensure a minimum level of experience.
“Fifa reserves the right to require referees over the age of 45 (born in 1972 or before) to undergo additional technical assessments as well as specific medical examinations and fitness testing on a case-by-case basis. Each candidate must be ranked based on the marks obtained for officiating games at the national level during the 12 months prior to being nominated to the list of international referees,” reads a communiqué from the world football motherbody Fifa which was sent to all the associations. — @skhumoyo2000.