Mozambican international referees Celso Alvação and Arsénio Maringule have been selected to be part of the team of officials who will officiate at the 2024 COSAFA Cup, which takes place from June 26 to July 7. Both were recently tested in Johannesburg and will play important roles in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
The use of VAR in the COSAFA Cup will begin from the semi-finals, held in Gqeberha, and will also serve as a training tool throughout the competition. Each match will have referees working with the VAR system behind the scenes, better preparing themselves for the future application of the technology.
The inclusion of Alvação and Maringule highlights the importance of continuous training in the VAR system, essential for keeping up with the trends of FIFA and CAF, which increasingly rely on this technology. Referees who do not familiarize themselves with VAR risk falling behind in continental and global events.
The list of selected referees includes prominent names such as Abongile Tom from South Africa, recently awarded COSAFA Male Referee of the Year, Jerson dos Santos from Angola, and Peter Waweru from Kenya, all trained in VAR. It also includes five renowned female referees and assistant referees, such as Bouchra Karboubi from Morocco and Diana Chikotesha from Zambia, awarded COSAFA Female Referee of the Year.
Selected Main Referees:
– Sabelo Sibandze (Eswatini)
– Lebalang Mokete (Lesotho)
– Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar)
– Godfrey Nkhakananga (Malawi)
– Patrice Milazare (Mauritius)
– Mweshitsama Naftal (Namibia)
– Keren Yocette (Seychelles)
– Thabani Ruzario (Zimbabwe)
– Brighton Chimene (Zimbabwe)
– Ailton Carmelino (Angola)
– Keabetswe Dintwa (Botswana)
– Hillary Hambaba (Zambia)
Selected Assistant Referees:
– Estanislau Prata (Angola)
– Lucky Kegakologetswe (Botswana)
– Mohamed Ibrahim (Comoros)
– Zamani Simelane (Eswatini)
– Trywell Nyirenda (Zambia)
– Pondamali Tembo (Malawi)
Aswet Teeluck (Mauritius)
– Kgara Mokoena (South Africa)
– Alex Lumponjani (Namibia)
Selected VAR Referees/VAR Assistants:
– Waweru (Kenya) – VAR/AVAR
– Abongile Tom (South Africa) – VAR/AVAR
– Arsénio Maringule (Mozambique) – VAR
– Souru Phatsoane (Lesotho) – VAR
– Jerson dos Santos (Angola) – VAR/AVAR
– Dimbiniaina Andriatianarivelo (Madagascar) – VAR
– Letticia Viana (Eswatini) – VAR/AVAR (Women)
– Ahmad Heeralall (Mauritius) – VAR/AVAR
– Maria Rivet (Mauritius) – VAR/AVAR (Women's)
– Diana Chikotesha (Zambia) – AVAR (Women)
– Celso Alvação (Mozambique) – VAR
– Mohamed Athoumani (Comoros) – VAR
– Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) – VAR/AVAR (Women)
– Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco) – AVAR (Female)
– James Emile (Seychelles) – AVAR
The presence of Celso Alvação and Arsénio Maringule among the referees for the 2024 COSAFA Cup is a significant milestone for Mozambique, demonstrating the growing importance and recognition of the country's referees on the international stage.
