The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA), in partnership with FIFA, has launched a five-day FIFA Young Referees Course aimed at developing a pipeline of highly skilled match officials, a move expected to strengthen governance and professionalism within the country’s football industry.
The course, which runs from July 13 to 17, 2026 at the BambathaTsita Sports Arena, has attracted 35 young referees from across the country.
It forms part of FIFA’s talent development programme designed to equip emerging referees with the technical knowledge, physical conditioning and decision-making skills required to progress through the refereeing ranks.
The initiative is being facilitated by two international instructors—Paulo Marques of South Africa, who is leading the technical component, and Mark Mzengo of Malawi, responsible for physical instruction. They are supported by local instructors PulengMahomo (technical) and Moabi Makara (physical), highlighting collaboration between international expertise and local capacity building.
Beyond improving the standard of officiating, the programme represents an investment in one of football’s critical human capital resources. Quality refereeing is increasingly viewed as essential to maintaining the integrity, commercial value and competitiveness of domestic leagues, while also creating opportunities for officials to earn international appointments under FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Officially opening the course, LeFA Secretary General MokhosiMohapi challenged participants to treat the programme as a serious learning opportunity rather than merely another workshop.
“There is a difference between a workshop and a course,” Mohapi said. “A course is about acquiring lasting knowledge that you can implement. Learning should not end when you leave the classroom.”
Mohapi said the course comes at an important time as the global football community continues to witness rapid technological and tactical developments in officiating, particularly during the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
He noted that modern referees are expected to understand the evolving demands of the game, including team tactics, player formations and increasingly sophisticated decision-making processes.
“If we get the basics right, advancement becomes much easier. The game has evolved from a refereeing perspective. Preparation is now just as important for referees as it is for players and coaches,” he said.
Mohapi encouraged participants to embrace continuous learning and apply international best practices within Lesotho’s domestic competitions, saying strong foundations would ultimately improve the quality of football across the country.
CAF Physical Instructor Mark Mzengo described the young referees as the future of football officiating in Lesotho and said investing in their development would produce long-term benefits for the country’s football ecosystem.
“I am always happy when I am invited to conduct a young talent course because these are the future referees of Lesotho,” Mzengo said.
“The age group we see here gives us confidence that whatever knowledge we share over these five days will grow in fertile soil. From this group, we can produce the next FIFA referee from Lesotho.”
Mzengo urged participants to believe in their potential and approach the programme with commitment and discipline.
“The future of Lesotho football refereeing is in your hands. During these five days we will provide you with the technical and physical knowledge you need. It is now up to you to build on that foundation,” he said.
Summary
- The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA), in partnership with FIFA, has launched a five-day FIFA Young Referees Course aimed at developing a pipeline of highly skilled match officials, a move expected to strengthen governance and professionalism within the country’s football industry.
- Mohapi said the course comes at an important time as the global football community continues to witness rapid technological and tactical developments in officiating, particularly during the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
- CAF Physical Instructor Mark Mzengo described the young referees as the future of football officiating in Lesotho and said investing in their development would produce long-term benefits for the country’s football ecosystem.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
