By Becker Semela:
Former South African referee Victor Gomez has joined the FIFA Referees Committee as one of the trusted referees around the world.
Gomes, who is also the chairman of the SAFA Referees Committee, is known as one of South Africa’s most respected referees. He retired after officiating at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but has continued to play an important role in developing referees around the world.
Serving the growth of African football growth
Speaking to the South African Football Association (SAFA) website, Gomes said he was happy to keep serving football and helping African refereeing grow.
“I am happy to contribute to the game on the continent and to the betterment of African refereeing. Thank you to FIFA, CAF and SAFA for entrusting me with this huge responsibility,” he said.
Besides his new FIFA role, Gomes also serves in several other key football positions. He is a FIFA Referees Development Officer and Assessor, VAR and Technical Instructor, the CAF Referees Committee Vice-Chairman and a member of the IFAB Technical Advisory Panel.
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated Gomes on his appointment, saying he is proud to see South Africans playing major roles in world football.
“I am pleased to congratulate Victor on this new journey. We look forward to following him on this new chapter,” Jordaan said.
The FIFA Referees Committee is chaired by Pierluigi Collina, one of the most respected referees in the history of the game. The committee is responsible for setting the global standards for refereeing, training and match officials’ performance in FIFA tournaments.
Jordaan himself also continues to represent South Africa internationally. He has been appointed to the FIFA Men’s National Teams Competitions Committee, one of FIFA’s most important committees. It oversees all men’s tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups, the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, Futsal World Cup and the FIFA Arab Cup.
Meanwhile, SAFA’s chief medical officer, Dr Thulani Ngwenya, is currently in Chile serving as a doping control officer (DCO) at the FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup.
He is stationed in Rancagua, where he is part of the team responsible for ensuring that all players follow FIFA’s anti-doping regulations.
This shows that South Africans continue to make a strong mark in world football, not only on the field but also in key leadership and technical roles.
SAFA said it was proud to see its officials gaining international recognition and contributing to football development globally.
“Our officials continue to represent the country with pride and professionalism. Their success is proof of South Africa’s growing influence in the global football family,” SAFA said in a statement.
With figures like Victor Gomes, Dr Danny Jordaan and Dr Thulani Ngwenya taking part in world football structures, South Africa remains an important part of the game’s future both in Africa and beyond. – @NewsSA_Online
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