Africa-Press – Namibia. SAMUEL Nghipandulwa (25) has an insatiable appetite for growth and excellence. The newly accredited Fifa referee wants to reach the pinnacle of the sport by officiating at a World Cup some day.
A lifelong ambition is taking shape for Nghipandulwa, who has been fascinated with match officiating since he could understand the game of football on the sandy fields of Ruacana.
One of Africa’s youngest Fifa referees, he is looking forward to taking on Fifa and Confederation of African Football (CAF) assignments.
“I am so grateful to be granted this opportunity. I’ve been working and training hard just to get a peek of what it feels like to be a recognised referee,” he told The Namibian Sport this week.
Nghipandulwa is one of three Namibians who were added to the Fifa refereeing international list last week.
Assistant referees Eveline Lungameni and Kronelius Shilixuleni Ndapewa, plus referee Naftal Negongo also got certified.
“This really means a lot to me. It means I’m closer to reaching my full potential and achieving one of my biggest dreams in life,” he said.
“My aim was to get a Fifa badge when I reached the minimum age [which is at least 25 years old on 1 January in that calendar year]. Now I’ve got to work my way up to appear at Cosafa, Afcon and the World Cup one day.
“I’m hoping for something great that will help showcase what I am capable of. Only God knows why he gave me this talent.”
That talent was apparent from the moment he was spotted at an informal tournament in Ruacana as a scrawny 11-year-old armed with a soft-drink can filled with stones for a whistle and bottle tops for yellow and red cards.
Getting a Fifa badge is the beginning of great things, says Namibia Football Association (NFA) referee coordinator Absalom Goseb.
“The way forward is open for him. He has discipline and dedication, which are the qualities needed to reach the top,” he said earlier this week.
“I’m not doubting his refereeing ability. He’s a top-class referee. The only thing that stopped him from getting the CAF badge earlier was his age.
“From very early on you could see he has the lens of a referee, and his interpretation of the rules of the game is impressive.
“His desire to officiate at the highest level is his biggest strength. It is what drives him,” he said.
Had it not been for the foresight of his mother, Nghipandulwa may never gotten this far, Goseb said.
She alerted the NFA referees’ desk to her son’s passion for officiating, his mindset and work ethic.
“I dedicate this achievement to my mom, my family, my instructors, my mentor, my friends, and everyone who made this possible with any kind of support they gave me,” said Nghipandulwa.
“I dedicate this achievement to Namibia. I hope on becoming somebody the youth can look up to and know that whatever career they set their focus on, is possible.
“I would like to thank my colleagues for walking with me through this journey. I wouldn’t be here without them because we’ve worked together on the pitch for things to happen.”
In recent times, Nghipandulwa got the benefit of training through the Tournaments Abroad Referee Academy, an international football refereeing development project organised by Tournaments Abroad, which is an independent non-profit organisation that provides youth football tournaments with referees from across the world.
His development included officiating at the 2019 Gothia Cup China, Asia’s most prestigious youth tournament, and the 2020 IberCup, one of the largest international youth football tournaments in the world.
Nghipandulwa earned a gold medal for his effort in the Gothia Cup final. He was the first African to take part in Referee Abroad’s international tournaments.
He has received rave reviews for being impartial and having nerves of steel when under pressure for someone so young.
“We’re extremely happy and proud of you, Samuel. Congratulations and see you soon at another tournament,” Referee Abroad said of Nghipandulwa’s latest achievement on its Facebook page.
Keen on being involved in community projects, Nghipandulwa initially honed his skills through refereeing at an assortment of unofficial tournaments before taking on the challenging lower divisions, Skorpion Zinc U17 Cup, and The Namibian Newspaper Cup, before making the step up to topflight football two years ago.
Retired English referee Mark Clattenburg, who officiated the Euro 2016 final, and Janny Sikazwe from Zambia are his role models.
Sikazwe courted controversy at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon last month when he made headlines worldwide for prematurely ending the group F match between Tunisia and Mali twice.
“I like his [Clattenburg’s] refereeing style. How he communicates with players is something I would love to be able to do. In 2016 I met Janny Sikazwe. He has been my role model, and he also officiated at the World Cup in 2018, and Afcon 2019 and 2021,” Nghipandulwa said.
He ranks the 2021 NFA/MTC Cup bronze medal play-off between Blue Waters and Young African as his biggest test to date, while he was the fourth official for the final as Civics saw off Mighty Gunners to claim honours.
Nghipandulwa is looking forward to being involved in matches of a higher magnitude, and making use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system of which he is a fan.
“I am in support of the VAR, because we referees are only human too. We sometimes don’t get to see every foul, but with the help of the VAR, clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents are identified and rectified immediately,” he said.
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