ZOC hail soccer refs’ course

local match officials which he believes will provide a platform for them to be considered for such big international football events like the World Cup and Olympic Games.
Fifa instructors Carlos Henriques, Marko Mzengo and Felix Tangawarima are in the country for the week-long course, which started at Prince Edward School on Monday and ended yesterday afternoon and attracted 35 participants drawn from the Zifa and Fifa panels.
Mutoya, who was a guest speaker at the course, said Zimbabwe welcomed Fifa’s initiatives to develop the capacities of referees and assessors and urged Zifa and the referees to use the class a strategy for success.
The ZOC chief executive said it was important for people to acknowledge the significance of referees to the conclusion of games.
“I take great interest and reserve immense respect for the role that referees play in the development of the game of football the world over.
“The tranquility that comes with the conclusion of matches, the emotions that come with a loss of a match, the passion that comes with the support of particular teams and no doubt the christening of the sport to being the most beautiful game can all be attributed to referees that officiate these matches,” Mutoya said.
Mutoya also noted that referees are often caught up in the controversies that characterise football but insisted that the game needed the “men in the middle” to pass judgment on the pitch.
“No doubt the unpleasant dirty side of things through violence, match-fixing, home-town decisions and unfinished games due to perceived biased officiating cannot go unnoticed just as every cloud has a silver lining.
“Regardless of such perceptions (real or otherwise) this is one constituency of the game of football that requires astute and balanced judgment in an unreasonably shortest possible time with the effects that last the longest possible of times.”
Mutoya also reminded the referees that their duties on the football pitches were akin to a public courtroom as their decisions often spark mixed reactions from the terraces and noted that it was imperative for the match officials to remain principled.
“Such is the impact and far reaching and indelible mark that referees leave on the football terrain thus calling for unquestionable due diligence, meticulous training and personal development.
“But more importantly the profession calls for straight jacket principles that foster sporting justice in the most publicly attended courtroom – the football stadium.
“I am aware that a supporters’ team never loses a match and the fans will always live with that belief.
“It remains your role therefore to ensure that those that win, win with humility and those that lose, do so with dignity fully understanding that there is no loser in sport . . . it is just the victory that is deferred for another day.”
The Fifa course, Mutoya also said, provided the referees, assessors and instructors with an opportunity to be frank with each other about developments in the profession and also praised Zifa for investing in human resources development.
“No profession worth its salt on the continent can take pride in achieving respect without investing in human resources development.
“Training, therefore plays a significant role in sharpening competencies and instilling confidence in the practitioners.
“I am aware that this class comprises of referees on the Zifa and Fifa panel as well as match assessors.
“This is one of the few opportunities that you have to be ruthlessly frank with each other for the good of the fans, club owners, players, media, administrators and football sponsors out there who bestow their faith week in week out on your shoulders.
“Like they say respect is earned and as one scholar said: ‘Nothing beats expert wisdom in attracting respect’, thus you need to place immense value on this course, if not for your personal development, let it be for the credibility of this beautiful game.
“The inescapable hazards of your trade can never be overlooked.
“The overzealous fans, the aloof administrators, the frustrated players can all make your workplace a hard hat area.
“However like the famous John Wooden said ‘Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out’.
“Use the unpleasant experiences that you encounter to your best advantage during this course as a strategy for success.
“We want to see Zimbabwean referees among the panel of referees at the Fifa World Cup and other such major competitions,” Mutoya said.
Mutoya also challenged the local referees not rest on their laurels when they return to their bases at the end of the course.
“Much as we have grown up cultured to believe that practice makes perfect, allow me to correct that and advise you that in actual fact practice makes permanent.
“Therefore you need to be practicing the correct principles and I believe that the course is meant to do just that.
“Experience alone is not enough to carry you through this field.
“In fact experience is not just seeing much, it is indeed achieving much as one year’s experience repeated twenty times can’t surely be regarded as 20 years experience.
“I would like to congratulate Zifa through the office of the technical director Mr Nelson Matongorere for facilitating the successful hosting of this course.
“An organisation that does not value life long learning has itself to blame for being the 21st century dinosaur destined for extinction.
“I also wish to extend my generous gratitude to Fifa through Mr Felix Tangawarima’s office for granting Zimbabwe continual support collaboration.
“We require a lot of support as a nation and kindly convey our most profound appreciation and gratitude for the entire football movement,” Mutoya said.