The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) on Tuesday launched a five-day Fifa Member Association (MA) Referees Assessors Course at the National Technical Training Centre (NTTC) in Old Yundum.
The course, which runs from 4th to 8th August brings together 29 referee assessors, including two women, for advanced capacity building aimed at enhancing the quality of referee assessment in The Gambia.
The course is being organised by the GFF in collaboration with Fifa and is directed by Fifa/Caf Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed from Somalia, who is serving as the Technical Instructor.
GFF President Mr Lamin Kaba Bajo welcomed the participants and underscored the importance of the training, noting that refereeing standards in The Gambia are growing higher.
Bajo also encouraged the participants to actively engage throughout the course and make the best use of the learning opportunity available.
GFF Referees Committee Chairman and Executive Committee Member John Frank Mendy described Referees assessors as vital pillars in the development of referees, stressing that their evaluations must be objective and consistent. He said assessors play a crucial role in identifying the strengths, correcting weaknesses and ensuring referees continue to improve.
Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed said the primary objective of the training programme is to equip assessors with the latest knowledge and amendments to the Laws of the Game and elevate their role beyond evaluation to becoming true coaches and mentors of referees.
The five-day course forms part of the federation’s continued commitment to developing match officials and strengthening refereeing standards across the country through continuous education and capacity building.
