MONROVIA, Jan. 25 (LINA) – The Liberia Football Association (LFA) President, Mustapha Raji, has urged beginner referees to be dedicated and create passion for the profession to succeed in the Liberia Football Referees Association (LIFRA).
According to the official Facebook page of the LFA, Raji made the statement at the start of a four-day beginner referees training course at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia recently.
The newly-recruited referees, Raji said, should be consumed by their new calling to put in the required time if they want to progress as professional referees in and out of Liberia.
Raji also encouraged all Liberians residing in the 15 political sub-divisions of Liberia to join the association as referees, to make it a vibrant institution in Liberia.
« I also want to encourage the three females who signed up for this course to emulate the footsteps of Sylvina Garnet, who is FIFA Representative today, » Raji said.
He added that to be a referee, one needs to understand the laws of the game and be sensitive in making precise decisions in the game.
The LFA boss asserted that the training is intended to make beginners understand the challenges that are involved being a referee.
For his part, the President of LIFRA, Joseph Kollie, said that the four-day session will be theoretical and practical with several veteran FIFA-badge referees who have been certified as referee-instructors, adding that the recruits will be taught the 17 laws of the game.
« As a referee, you have to be mentally and physically fit. You must be swift in making appropriate decisions, » Kollie noted.
« Integrity is all that matters in order to be a good referee. So, we will watch and monitor your activities on and off the field of play. It is good that most of you are from different counties. We don’t need to be sending referees out of town, » Kollie added.
