
Ugandan centre referee Ronnie Kalema and assistant referee Mark Sonko both passed the fitness tests conducted at Da es salaam National stadium this Wednesday morning ahead of the 2011 Cecafa senior challenge cup kick off on Friday.
The duo was part of the 17 selected referees currently in Tanzania for duty. In a rare incident, the region registered 100% perfect results in this year’s exercise. Last year, two referees failed to make it to the last lap and were immediately booked to return home. CAF referees’ representative Charles Masembe who is in Dar es salaam to oversee the standards of the selected referees said the participants had all showed good commitment on the field. “They were lively and looked well prepared for the exercise” he remarked. Masembe also added that all referees had also passed the medical tests.
Munyanziza Gervais from Rwanda is the youngest talent on the team and when contacted to comment on his first appearance for Cecafa, he was all praises to God. “So happy with the results, God has made it for me. I am now setting my mind for the actual work on the pitch” said the young Rwandese referee.
The Centre referees include Ronnie Kalema (Uganda), Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia), Davis Omweno (Kenya), Wish Yabarow (Somalia), Isarel Mujuni (Tanzania), Munyemana Hudu (Rwanda), Eric Gasinzigwa (Burundi) and Garvis Munyenziza (Rwanda).
The assistant referees include Mark Sonko (Uganda), Hassan Yacin Egueh (Djibouti), Clemence Erasmo (Tanzania), Idam Mohamed Hamid (Sudan), Khamis Maswa (Zanzibar), Hamis Changwalu (Tanzania), Yohanes Girmai ( Eritrea) and Brazan Mamati (Kenya).
Meanwhile the region goes to polls this Thursday with Tanzania’s Leodgar Tenga facing his vice president Fadoul Hussein from Djibouti in an election of two candidates. The elections will be conducted from JB Belmont Hotel in Dar es salaam city centre. Each country is entitled to three delegates but with one vote. FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa will cast the Ugandan vote.