11:39:00
Carlos Henriques, FIFA Referee Development Officer, has called on Nigerian referees to forget about World Cup officiating ambition for now.
Mr.
Henriques gave the advice in an interview in Abuja on Friday.
He advised them to
concentrate more on how to secure the Africa Cup of Nations slots.
Mr. Henriques said that
the Nigerian referees needed all the support they could get to earn a World Cup
slot.
“I think before you start
thinking of the World Cup, you have to start thinking of the Africa Cup of
Nations.
“Let’s start working,
thinking to produce referees to represent Nigeria at the continental
competitions; that is our main goal.
“After they start, and be
part of the continental of referees, definitely the chances are there for the
World Cup.
“They have to wake up like
everyone else; everybody has a chance, provided they work hard. They have to
work hard, and working hard is not just going out there and work hard.
“They have to work hard in
all fields, especially in achieving a high level of fitness as well as the way
they manage and approach players.
“So,
this is all part of training that the referee has to be subjected to; it’s not
easy to be a referee”.
He said there are no much
challenges that will stop Nigerian referees from achieving this target since
they have a very good team of referees’ instructors in the country.
He said that the calibre
of CAF and NFA referee instructor like Linus Mba, could give the referees all
they needed to excel in the job.
Mr. Henriques, Lim
Kee-Chong from Mauritius, a former FIFA referee, and Mark Nzengo from Malawi,
are the FIFA instructors at the ongoing “FIFA Member Association Elite Referees
Course”.
The course, which began on
May 25 in Abuja, and ended on May 29. (NAN)
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