The Future Three

November 2009 will see the opportunity of these three potential referees from Maldivesto be selected and promoted to be be Maldives FIFA MAtch Officials. Ahmed Afsah and Ismail Izhaan will attending the final stage of the assessment of AFC Project Future on the 24 - 29 November 2009 in Kuala Lumpur. Based on their their practical performances and also physical fitness, besides other factors, these two will be recommended by AFC to the Member Association for future nomination into the FIFA Match Officials list.

Another potential referee is Basil Nafees who is currently in Bangalore, India pursuing his degree is selected to attend the AFC Project Future Referee Selection Course on the 4 - 11 November 2009. This was based on his performance in the AFC U13 Festivals games in Iran early this year. If selected he will be in the latest group of AFC PF to be trained and groomed into future FIFA Match Officials. The FAM Referees Department is hoping that these youngsters will make the Republic of Maldives proud and the Dhivehi League and football will be further enhanced to greater height in the FIFA Coca-Cola Ranking.

AFC says not ready?

"AFC says not ready" - as mentioned in Maldivesoccer. Ali Adil is not ready to an AFC Elite Referee yet. This was based on his performance in the second Semi Final match - Victory versus New Radiant. For every incident that happen in our lives, there is always a blessing in disguise. When Allah closes a window He will open up many other windows. It is our duty and effort to see the signs and cues and develop ourself towards taking the right opportunity at the right time.

Failure is when we don't get up after falling. We have to accept our weaknesses, look into our strengths and see how to use our strengths to overcome the weaknesses. The Dhivehi league season has just concluded. From the matches analysis, many of the incidents, mistakes, careless mistakes and wrong decisions occurred during the last ten minutes of the game. Some of these decisions or mistakes change the results of the matches with goal allowed or disallowed. Some even resulted in the coach being sacked due to failure of the team caused by the referee's decisions and some players were also terminated their contracts.

Preparation of referees for the match is a vital factor in ensuring excellent performance in refereeing. Proper rest, mental preparation, fitness training, pregame discussion and mental strength are some of the important factors to be considered by the referee. Every match need to be treated as important. It cannot be treated as another football match as many teams have undergone strenuous training in the hot sun and it is unfair that the referee's decision jeopardized their results by making careless mistakes.

Self-evaluation is more important than the evaluation given by the referee's assessors (RA). Comment and advice from the RA if being absorbed and accepted should be put into practice to generate new skills, experiences and performance. If one's mind is closed to accepting advice and comment, the mind will nor flourish and expand towards achiving success. If one is strong with his personal ego then whatever advices will not penetrate into his mind. Thus the assessment practices by FAM on referee will be a failure. Careless mistakes in the last quarter of the match as mentioned before are due to self carelessness, complacency, poor positioning due to fitness level, fatigue and also lack of full commitment towards each game.

The Referees department feels that some senior referees are already in their 'comfort zone' and thus, are not ready to undergo paradigm shift to better themselves. Getting the younger referees to be motivated and groom into better referees is one way to create a challenge to the senior referee. Everyone should not feel that they are indispensable - cannot be replaced. It is better to have a group of young referees who are willing to change and work towards excellence rather a group of senior referee who refuses to accept any comment or advices to change. For things to change, we must first change ourself.

If a referee feel that he is too good to change than it is better for him to stay at home so that his arrogant or ego will not be threat to others that is the players, team, team officials, fellow referees and also the supporters.

Refereeing - To Gain Respect

Alhamdulillah the Wataniya Dhivehi league has ended and the top team VB Sports Club as expected regain their title. What can you expect from a team with all the top players in the country. This title comes with a heavy burden to carry our country flags in the AFC Cup next year.
To the Referees Department this has been a year of success and failure. Success because many new and young referees were tapped their potentials, and they did show their true potential by performing in their best to gain the respect of the players and supporters or at least the heart of the Referees Director. Young referees like, Basil Nafees, Ismail Izhaan, Ahmed Afsah and Ahmed Shifan have done a good job to gain the respect of the team. Perhaps with further exposure and experience, they will be developed to be better excellent referees.
Failure because some referees, even top referee did not perform to the expectation and failure also because some downsides and errors in the decisions of the referees have left the players and team management in amaze. Its a sad tragedy to be accepted for some coaches and players lost their jobs due to that. Self-evaluation and self-realization need to be done to realise one's performance and at least be considerate enough to have sympathy to others by taking effort to improve oneself in order to have a better seasons. "If one does not pity others, Allah will not have pity over him."
Respect is gained not demanded. Gaining the respect of others in the field of refereeing involve being respected by the players, coaches, team officials, FA administrators and the football fans. To achieve the highest status in refereeing is not by being a FIFA Referee and in fact the title as a "FIFA Referee" does give you the automatic recognition in the eyes of the above mentioned "customers". To be recognised as a quality referee, the referee has to first satisfy the satisfaction of the customers. The 'customers' will be satisfied if they are pleased with the decisions of the referees. They feel that fairness prevails throughout the game. To a referee - justice done must be seen to be done. Making a mistake is part and partial of the refereeing but making a mistake at the expense of the player (giving or not giving a card, giving a wrong card or making a wrong judgement) or the team (losing a match for an illegal goal or for a goal disallowed). making mistake in a game does not require a referee to balance it up by making a wrong decision the other way. A wrong penalty kick to replace a wrong penalty given earlier, a card to this side because he gave one the other side and many 'funny' decisions that are questionable.
This season sees the referees making mistake or wrong at the dying minutes of the the match or the last 10 minutes of the match. This is due to lack of concentration, carelessness and also complacency by the referees. Wrong judgement were often arises due to wrong positioning of the referees and the irony of that is that being in a wrong position is not because the referees were not taught or told where or why to stand in all situations. Fitness level, carelessness, tiredness, fatigue and lack of commitment by the referees are the few factors identified to influence the judgements and decisions of the referees. Allegation by teams officials that the referee are scared or are in favour of certain team is difficult to be accepted unless there is evidence to proof it. If it is such then it will be a tragedy to the refereeing community in this country. We do not want to believe that it is true neither do we want to see that the scenario is such. We do not want to follow like what certain countries are doing by getting foreign referees to officiate in the local league just because they don not trust their own referee any more. The local referees will then act as assistant referees only. They will be no more FIFA referees in the country.
All is not lost if we are committed and strive to do something about it. A loser will only say, "something has to be done" while a winner will say, "I must do something".
Hopefully we will begin the new season with a new image, giving yourself a chance so that the team will give yourself a chance too. The determination to do the best in each handling of the match should be the commitment of all referees. Thus, respect will be gained.

Fiesta Ramazan in Male'

22 Aug - 5 Sept - Customs Futsal Competition
(4 - 6 pm - Futsal Mini Ground)

5 Sep - 19 Sep - FAM Veteran Competition
(4.45 pm - FAM Turf)

5 Sep - 19 Sep - Time Sprint Futsal Competition
(9.00 - 11.00 pm - Futsal Mini Ground)

22 - 24 Aug, 3 - 5 Sep, 10 - 12 Sep - Wataniya Dhivehi League
10.30 pm - National Stadium

18 & 19 Sep - Coca-Cola FA Cup Semi Final
10.30 pm - National Stadium

25 & 26 Sep - 3rd & 4th Placing and Final Coca-Cola FA Cup
10.30 pm - National Stadium

AFC Referee Year in Maldives

31 August 2009 - Football Association of Maldives celebrated the AFC Referee Year with a friendly match between FAM Technical Staff versus FAM Referees.

The match was a well fought one with exchange of attacks from both teams. The match looks like that it will be a scoreless when Shah Ismail, FAM General Secretary scored the only goal five minutes from full time to put the Technical Staff winning the match 1 - 0 over the referees.

Ex FIFA match officials, Amir Sharifuddin Wong (the referee Director). Mohamed Saeed (World Cup AR) and Ahmed Abeer Ismail (FIFA AR) officiated in the match. Refreshment was given to all presents. 24 new FUTSAL Referees were also presented their certificate for having completed their basic level FUTSAL Referee course in August 2009 by former FIFA Referee - Ahmed Asim, also the member of the FAM Refereess Committee.

SHIFAN to be developed

AHMED SHIFAN ABDUL RAHEEM - another name that the Dhivehi League can look forward to. Last night (4 Sept 2009), Shifan (sippe) was given his first step into the highest Dhivehi League although in a match of no bearing to Kalhaidhoo but was important to Club Valencia who is getting ready for the play-off and also the FA Cup semi-final against VB Sports Club (19 September 2009).

The score line 5 - 1 shows that the match was not a one-sided match. His first half performance lack the show of his true potential but he was better in the second half with the fast change of attacks by both sides. Two yellow cards was shown to Kalhaidhoo's players. His good built and his personality is his strength to fall upon but he needs to use his good fitness level to carry him in order to give an impact on his existence. With further exposure and guidance, he will definitely be among one of the name to look forward to in the near future.