Football |10 February 2023

The referees and referee assistants in a souvenir photo with Messrs Ernesta, Marie, Damoo and Delorié (Photo: Louis Toussaint)

Nine referees and assistants get Fifa badges renewal

• Central referee Noris Arissol join the ranks

Nine local Fédération Internationale de Football Association referees and assistants have received their badges following successful renewal of their license, while central referee Noris Arissol has joined the ranks of the elite, after successfully meeting the required criteria.

Seven out of the 10 match officials were handed their badges yesterday by the vice-president of the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF), Dolor Ernesta, during a ceremony held at the Maison Football at Roche Caïman, in the presence of Clive Delorié, the SFF’s director of competition, Steve Marie who is responsible for officiating and referee instructors Jason Damoo and Jean-Claude Labrosse.

Out of the group five officials received badges as central referees, while five were accredited as assistant referees.

The 10referees and assistants are Dario Landry (10 years with four years as an international referee), Hensley Petrousse (14 years with four years as an international referee assistant), Noris Arissol (10 years, new as an international referee), Keren Yocette (17 years with two years as an international referee), Shaji Padayachi (13 years with two years as an international referee assistant), James Emile (16 years with seven years as an international referee assistant), Stephen Dugasse (14 years with four years as an international referee assistant), Emile Fred (22 years with 11 years as an international referee), Eldrick Adelaide (19 years with 12 years as an international referee), Gerard Pool (12 years with nine years as an international referee assistant).

For successful renewal of their license and to obtain the badges, the match officials underwent several training, including fitness test, along with a referee Members Association (MA) course held locally in September last year, designed to help member associations to improve the level of their referees and assistant referees, and also to create uniformity regarding the interpretation of the laws of the game.

This includes guidance on key technical topics such as handball, challenges, positioning, tactical fouls and offside among others.

The training is also set to help match officials to better manage the games that they are assigned to, while knowing more about their overall objective as a referee, or referee assistant.

The training was conducted by Fifa referees instructor Zimbabwean Felix Tangawarima and Italian physical instructor Giuseppe Galvano.

Mr Ernesta commended all officials who he said will surely serve as a role model and an inspiration to the younger generation of referees and assistants who will be vying to follow in their footsteps and be rewarded for their accomplishments in the years ahead.

He said the fact that a small country like Seychelles boasts 10 international officials showcases the significant progress of local football, even if a lot remains to be done to improve the level of play.

Mr Ernesta also congratulated local official Petrousse who officiated in the final of the African Nations Football championship (Chan 2022) between hosts Algeria and Senegal last Saturday.

Senegal won the match in a penalty shootout on a 5-4 score after the score remained lock at 0-0 after both normal time and extra-time.

Speaking to Sports NATION about sharing the pitch with the Chan finalists, along with central referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho of Gabon, and assistant Adou Hermann Desiré N’Goh of the Ivory Coast, a very timid Petrousse simply noted that his main focus was on the 22 players on the field, and not the noisy crowd.

He said he kept his calm and was more or less relaxed all throughout the match.

The first step towards becoming a Fifa referee is to get certified by your national football association. This usually involves completing a refereeing course, passing a fitness test, and passing a written exam. After completing these requirements, you can officiate local matches and tournaments.

From there, you can work your way up the ranks by consistently performing well and demonstrating your skills as a referee.

This may involve officiating regional or national matches and attending additional training sessions and clinics.

To become a Fifa referee, you must first be nominated by your national federation. From there, you will be evaluated by the Fifa referees’ committee, which will assess your abilities and potential as a referee. This evaluation process includes both on-field assessments and off-field evaluations, such as interviews and written exams.

If you are successful in this evaluation process, you will be invited to attend the Fifa referee’ seminar which is held annually. At this seminar, you will receive further training and evaluation from experienced Fifa referees and other experts.

Upon completion of the seminar, you may be selected to join the Fifa international referees list, which allows you to officiate international matches.

It is worth noting that becoming a Fifa referee is a competitive process, and only a select few are chosen each year. However, it is possible to achieve this prestigious honour with hard work and dedication.

It is also essential to continue developing your skills and staying up to date with the latest rules and regulations, as this will increase your chances of success in the evaluation process.

Roland Duval