Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
RENOWNED Fifa technical instructor Felix Tangawarima will officiate at the Zimbabwe Referees Committee (ZRC) match commissioners’ refresher course to be held a week before the start of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) next month.
The PSL’s mini-league tournament marks the restart of domestic football after more than a year of inaction due to Covid-19.
Topflight teams have been drawn into four pools, with teams playing in round-robin games on a home and away basis. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
As part of their preparations for the season, ZRC has organised referees and match commissioners’ refresher courses to capacitate officials with new changes that happened in football during the Covid-19 pandemic.
ZRC chairman Bryton Malandule said the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) had given them the green light to hold training sessions for match officials under strict Covid-19 protocols.
“We are fortunate that experienced instructor Felix Tangawarima is in the country and we’ve invited him to facilitate the match commissioners’ refresher course that will start on May 7 and end on May 8,” said Malandule.
ZRC’s preparations for Premiership restart will see referees undergoing a two-day training and fitness test in Bulawayo this weekend.
At least 80 Premiership referees will attend a theoretical refresher course at Bulawayo Polytechnic College’s hotel school before wrapping up with fitness tests at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).
In line with Covid-19 congregation protocols that restrict gatherings to 50, Malandule said centre referees will be in class on Friday and then do their fitness test on Saturday morning, while assistant referees will be in class on Saturday and do fitness tests on Sunday.
“We’re happy and excited that the course has been cleared by the SRC. We’re sticking to Covid-19 protocols that will see the group of referees being divided into two so that we stick to the required 50 or less people. On Friday all participants will undergo Covid-19 PCR tests. Those found positive will not run in Saturday’s fitness test,” said Malandule.
Brighton Mudzamiri is the referees’ course instructor and will be assisted by Malandule, who is a Fifa Futuro certified instructor.
After training of topflight referees, Malandule said they will hold similar refresher courses for First Division and other lower league officials.
These will be done once the green light to resume activities in the lower leagues has been given. — @ZililoR
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo