The Win in Africa with Africa high-level FIFA referring course organised by the Gambian football Association, in collaboration with the World Football Governing Body (FIFA) is currently in session at the National Training Centre in Yundum.

The one-week high-level referees’ course, which kicked off on Friday 13 June 2009, is expected to wind up tomorrow Tuesday June 16 2009. Twenty-five referees and assistant referees from the First Division league are the beneficiaries of the highly educative course which is being conducted by Ghana’s Joseph Willington, Sedi Bekay Magassari of Mali and Ma Demba Mbacke of Senegal.

Seedy MB Kinteh, the President of the Gambia Football Association in delivering the keynote address at the opening of the high-level course said, “ I am privileged once again to witness for the second time such a high -profile training programme for Gambian referees in less than seven months which speaks volume of the importance FIFA attaches to the development of refereeing globally”

This course, the GFA leader, added is aimed at improving the overall standards of referring in the Gambia.

“There will always be questions if a referee performs or not, but I will say that the future of our game lies in the hands of the men with the whistle and a key element in the future of the game,” he stated.

Speaking at the occasion, FIFA’s Course Director, Mr Joseph Willington of Ghana spoke on the importance FIFA attaches to the training and the tremendous efforts by the Gambia Football Association in developing its administrative staff.

“It takes about uniformity in the application and interpretation of the laws of the game in order to help move Gambian football with the rest of the World,” Willlington explained.