Phatsoane on AFCON workshop in Rabat

NTHAKO MAJORO

MASERU – International assistant referee Souru Phatṡoane is among 56 match officials who are attending a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) workshop in Rabat, Morocco.

The AFCON competition kicks off in Egypt on June 21 and ends on July 19 July.

Phatṡoane is attending the training clinic which began on April 28 and ends on May 5 by the invitation of the

The workshop is attended by 27 referees and 29 assistant referees.

Phatṡoane was already in Rabat where on April 26 was officiating at the CAF Champions League semifinal first-leg between Wydad Athletic Club and Mamelodi Sundowns at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

According to the Lesotho Referees Association (LRA)’s public relations officer Maponyane Letsie, Phatṡoane left for Rabat after on Good Friday for the Wydad-Sundowns match.

Letsie said Phatṡoane was invited to the workshop because he is part of the African match officials who will officiate at this year’s AFCON tournament.

“He has been invited by CAF to attend the workshop in preparation for the upcoming AFCON game. We are happy for him because it will be first Lesotho assistant referee to officiate at the AFCON competition,” he said.

Phatṡoane has officiated in several international matches and performed exceptionally in most of them.

Some of his recent CAF appointments include the tie between Gor Mahia and RSB Berkane on April 7, CAF Champions League match between Platinum and ES Tunis on March 16 and CAF Champions League between RSB Berkane and Otoho d’Oyo on March 10.

He also officiated at the CAF Confederation Cup match between Zamalek and NA Hussein Dey on February 13 and one CAF Champions League tie between Club Africain and CS Constantine on January 11.

Phatṡoane again officiated in another CAF Champions League match between Wydad and Horoya on July 28.

His last year’s appointments included an international friendly match between South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and Paraguay (on November 20) where he officiated as the first assistant referee.

Prior to that he officiated at the two CAF Confederation Cup matches, one between USM Alger and Al Masry on September 23 and another between Aduana Stars and ASEC Mimosas on August 19, 2018.

Letsie said the upcoming AFCON competition would be the first one where CAF would be introducing the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The VAR was first used in Africa at the quarter-final stage of the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco and following the trials, CAF resolved to adopt it in the 2018 finals of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

The 2018 World Cup was a pilot project to establish how the video assistant referee can improve professional football.