Mon, 12 Feb 2018 10:12:49 +0000
By KELVIN SIABANA
LUANSHYA-BASED female FIFA referee Leah Namukonde has urged local women to take a keen interest in becoming football referees for the development of soccer.
Namukonde said refereeing was not only suitable for men but also for women who had contributed massively to the growth of football in Zambia.
She said Zambia had talented and passionate women who could become better referees but they shunned the activity thinking that it was a man’s job.
Namukonde said that although refereeing in Zambia was a part time job, it was exciting because referees added value to the standards of football especially in the Super League.
In an interview with the Daily Nation Sports, Namukonde said Zambia has produced world class referees like, Gladys Lengwe who had officiated at the 2016 Rio Olympics Games in Brazil, the Under-17 World Cup tournament in 2014 in Costa, Rica where she did a commendable job and other international tournaments.
Namukonde said Zambian women should not be discouraged that they cannot cope being a referee because most of the referees were men and the footballers in the super league were male footballers, adding that was like any other job.
She urged women to rise and take a chance to try refereeing because it could change their lives.
Namukonde said being a referee had so many advantages because once one became a professional FIFA referee, they could officiate at any international event organised by FIFA in the world.
She said in other parts of the world, refereeing was considered as a full-time job and it had received tremendous recognition.
Namukonde said women in Zambia should not be afraid to join the few FIFA women referees the country has because they have proved their worth to the world football governing body.
