Football - Local referees receive Fifa badges |17 February 2022

Fifa referee Keren Yocette (Photo left) and Fifa assistant referee Shaji Padayachy

Seychelles has two new Fédération internationale de Football Association certified officials, meaning they can now officiate in international matches for the year 2022.

Referee Keren Yocette and assistant referee Shaji Padayachy received their badges this week.

Speaking to Sports NATION yesterday, Padayachy said he is proud to receive his badge and of what he has accomplished so far.

“It has been 12 years since I started as a football official. I was in secondary one (S1) at the time and did mainly school games. I gradually climbed up the ranks and in 2014 I graduated as an assistant referee and started officiating first division matches locally. And to be noted as a Fifa assistant referee at the age of 23 brings a very special feeling,” Padayachy told Sports NATION.

Candidates have to be at least 23 years to be nominated as Fifa assistant referees.

Padayachy added: “I have my badge in hand and I am taking it one step at a time. The main thing is to keep or improve my fitness level, gather experience, take all competitions seriously and follow in the footsteps of other Seychellois officials who have gone on to make a name for themselves both locally and internationally.”

As for Keren Yocette, he has been refereeing for 15 years and this is the first time he gets a Fifa referee’s badge.

“I am happy and this is the first step on this new journey. My aim is to keep training hard, stay concentrated as I await my first call-up. Nowadays, a referee covers an average of 15 kilometres during a football match and it is very important therefore to work on endurance, speed and mental preparedness,” 30-year-old Yocette told Sports NATION.

To be nominated as a Fifa referee, a referee needs to be at least 25 years old on January 1 in the first year of nomination. The candidate will be required to be re-nominated and undergo medical and Fifa fitness tests every year to receive their badges.

Member countries of Fifa are invited annually to nominate male and female officials for association football, futsal and beach soccer. It is the responsibility of each country's referee's committee to select the referees to be nominated to Fifa which maintains five lists in total: men's and women's association football referees, men's and women's futsal referees, and a single list of beach soccer referees.

Seychelles has 10 officials ‒ five referees and five assistant referees ‒ registered with Fifa.

Other than referee Yocette and assistant referee Padayachy, the other Fifa certified officials are Bernard Camille, Eldrick Adelaide, Emile Fred and Dario Landry (referees), James Emile, Hansley Petrousse, Gerard Pool and Stephen Dugasse (assistant referees).

Two officials ‒ referee Egbert Havelock and assistant referee Steve Marie ‒ have been taken off the Fifa list after they decided to call it quit upon reaching the age of 45 years old.

Compared to previous years when referees could not officiate beyond the age limit of 45 years old, a decision was taken in 2016 to drop the retirement age regulation, allowing referees of the Elite A class to continue officiating provided they undergo additional technical assessments as well as specific medical examinations and fitness testing on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, four Seychellois officials ‒ referees Bernard Camille and Emile Fred as well as assistant referees Hansley Petrousse and James Emile ‒ were to leave last night for Angola to take charge of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League group D match between five-time African champions Zamalek of Egypt and Angolan side Sagrada Esperança. The match will be played on Saturday February 19 at the Estádio 11 De Novembro in Luanda.

Gerard Govinden