Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Mustapha Raji has pledged to continue the path of referee’s development.
Raji said referees form the four cardinal pillars of the development of football along with medical, administration and coaching.
He was speaking at the end of an elite referee course held at the Samuel Kanyon Doe sports complex in Paynesville on 10 March.
“There is a specified window for referee development. Referees today received the highest amount of trainings excluding players. So we are doomed if some of you don’t interpret or implement the knowledge you have gained.
“This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t develop other areas but the key emphasis is placed on referees and that’s why we want you to make maximum use of these opportunities,” said Raji.
He hopes that FIFA and CAF will amend the entry criteria for referee instructors and assessors.
“Why do we have this law that only referees can become an instructor? Why someone, who has been in football management for over 20 years and understands the interpretation of the laws of the game, can’t be a referee assessor or instructor?
“What do we do if we lacked the knowledge of former referees to be instructors or assessors? So I believe that we need to get people from the schools or banks [and other professions] that we can train to be instructors and assessors,” he proposed.
LFA coopted executive committee member Joseph M. Kollie (His Honor), who chairs the referee and legal committees, admonished referees about the public’s perception about them.
“It is very rare for referees to get good name. There is more scrutiny on you today than when we were referees because of the technologies that FIFA have introduced in the game.
“Referee’s development is a key pillar for the FA and you can choose to be a good or bad referee. We will continue to have these courses but won’t hesitate to punish those who refuse to learn,” added Kollie.
For his part, LFA technical director Henry Browne called on referees to implement what they have learned to improve the game.
“You have come to this course to acquire knowledge or refresh your knowledge. When you talked about professionalism in Liberia, they say you want to witch hunt.
“In the absence of VAR in Liberia, what can improve your game is professionalism and that also applies to coaching and other professions. You need to professionalize what you are doing,” Browne stressed.
The course, which began on 6 March, had 30 participants (six women and 24 men) from Bong, Grand Bassa, Margibi, and Montserrado Counties.
Jason Damon of Seychelles and former LFA secretary-general Isaac Montgomery, a FIFA-badged referee-emeritus, served as technical instructors while former FIFA-badged assistant referees Abraham Fahnbulleh and Jay Exodus Flanjay served as physical instructors.
Participants refreshed on fitness test (gate concept) and tactical foul/challenges, offside, positioning and handball situations. Source: LFA
