BY SABELO GWEBU
SOCCER – The country boast of 12 match officials appointed by the governing body FIFA into the 2023 panel of referees.
The list consists of six centre-referees and as many assistant referees, of which impressively, four are women.
The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the FIFA Referees Committee have published the 2023 FIFA International Refereeing lists and the official 218-page publication covers all 211 sanctioned countries, including Eswatini with their new and returning FIFA list members across the categories of Referees, Assistant Referees, Video Match Officials, Futsal Referees, and Beach Soccer Referees.
New additions for the year are female centre referees Nothando Mkhumane and Banele Thwala. The longest-serving member of the current crop of match officials is assistant referee Petros Mbingo who has been part of the FIFA panel since 2007.
Recently from the FIFA Women’s World Cup, female referee Letticia Viana is also part of the list as she has been since 2015 while no-nonsense middleman Thulani Sibandze has been in it since 2012.
REFEREES
Thembinkosi Dlamini (male)
Thokozani Dlamini (male)
Nothando Mkhumane (female)
Thulani Sibandze (male)
Celumusa Siphepho (male)
Letticia Viana (female)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Thembinkosi Magagula (male)
Petros Mbingo (male)
Buyisile Mkhaliphi (female)
Siphawayinkhosi Nxumalo (female)
Zamani Simelane (male)
Banele Thwala (male)
