Monrovia – The President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Mustapha Raji, has reiterated that as the head of the LFA and a member of the CAF Executive Committee, he does not have the authority to select referees for AFCON or CAF club competitions.
By: Christopher C Walker [email protected] 0777898224/0886723075
Speaking to 22 referee assessors at the start of a four-day FIFA Strategic Referee Workshop for instructors and assessors, Raji emphasized that the selection of referees is based on performance and decisions made by the CAF Referee Committee.
“As President of the LFA, I do not have the power or authority to control the selection of referees designated for matches in CAF Champions League, CAF Cup of Nations, or any other competition,” Raji stated. “It’s based on your performance and the decisions from the Referee Committee and team. At no point in time do we, as Executive Committee members, interfere in the selection of individuals. If you cannot perform, you certainly won’t be designated.”
Raji made these remarks on Saturday, July 20, during the opening of the four-day FIFA Referee Assessors and Instructors Workshop at the LFA headquarters in Congo Town.
The training facilitator, Numandiez Desire Doue, who is the CAF Referee Manager, urged the 22 participants to use the course to embark on new projects and face new challenges. Mr. Doue questioned why Liberian referees are not prominently featured in CAF top competitions, despite Liberia producing some of the best players who have brought pride to the African continent.
“We don’t see Liberian referees in our top competitions… Why! Why!” Mr. Doue exclaimed. “We hope that after this course, we’ll start a new process with new challenges.”
The four-day Assessor and Instructor training was also attended by LFA 2nd Vice President Adolphus Dolo, who reminded referees to maintain their professionalism and avoid political involvement.
LFA Referee Committee Chairman, Judge Joseph Kollie, expressed gratitude to President Raji for facilitating the training and called for discipline within the profession of refereeing.
The course will include both theoretical and practical sessions over the next four days. Lead facilitator Desire Doue and his assistant will cover topics such as Ethics and Integrity, Modern Refereeing, Positioning & Reading, and practical training sessions with players and IFB.
