Sports

Shangula undergoes VAR course

  • October 29, 2020

By Michael Uugwanga

THE country’s top female referee and former Brave Gladiators attacker Vistoria Shangula has become the second Namibian referee to have undergone the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) course after award winning referee Mathew Kanyanga.

Shangula is also the first and only Namibian to obtain Confederation of African Football (CAF) Elite A qualification.

Shangula has made no secret that she wants to become the best referee, not only in the country but on the continent and in the world.

Speaking to Confidente Sports Desk after completing her VAR online course that took place on October 1 to 5 October 2020, Shangula said that this will enable her to develop into a top referee.

“I have already done the VAR online course.

However I continue to do additional online courses because of Covid-19. It makes me feel good to know how to operate VAR and how it works.  Being committed just shows how hungry one is, which is one of the reasons why I am the lucky one to be selected. It was also easy for me to be selected due to my Elite A licence,” said Shangula.

Shangula is expected to be amongst the referees to officiate at next month’s Council of Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) Cup competition to be staged in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.

Cosafa is set to host three women football competitions, firstly the Under-15 age category, with the initial stages on the weekend of November 7-8, and the final to be played as a curtain-raiser to the Cosafa Women Under-17 Championship from November 5 to November 13, while the senior Cosafa women’s cup is also slated on the same day as that of the junior competition.

Shangula will also be expected to officiate in the local top flight matches once the country’s football leagues resume; be it the male or female events.

Shangula is urging fellow women especially retired female footballers to pursue a career in refereeing.

“I will really be more than happy to see more women becoming referees as so far we are only three female referees and one assistant referee.  I will always be grateful to the (NFA) women’s desk for what they have done for me in particular (Jackie) Gertze and (Jacky) Shipanga and my referee boss Absalom Goseb (NFA referee manager) for pushing me harder”.