DURBAN – South Africa’s top football referee Victor Hlungwane is worried about the negative impact the coronavirus outbreak might have on the match fitness of the officials.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL), like in many parts of the world, has been halted because of the virus. It is not clear when it will resume.
“Our worry is that there’s no jogging allowed across the country and some of us don’t have gyms at our homes. We’ve been training at home but we are just afraid that when we reopen, the stomachs may have gained a few kilograms,” he said.
“The training is very minimal for us but we continue to train. When the leagues starts again, we will struggle like players. They also don’t have proper training under these circumstances.
“And we don’t know how much time we will be given to regain our fitness levels. It affects us all and we hope that it doesn’t affect us that much. The league is under pressure to finish on June 30 but compromises have to be made somewhere,” Hlungwane explained.
The 44-year-old works for Rand Water where he is a water quality facilitator when he is not on the field of play. Hlungwane is a teacher by profession. He is a qualified educator and admits that those who only survive by officiating will suffer the most during this national lockdown of 21 days.
“You are paid for the number of matches you do in that particular month. If you are not working, it is going to hurt you as a referee,” he said.
“This caught us off guard. If you didn’t budget properly, it is a problem. That’s why we always encourage young referees to study. We don’t want referees to suffer.”
SA U-23 Olympic Team Head Coach David Notoane speaking on measures to protect you and your families against the COVID-19 pandemic #StayHomeSA #WarAgainstVirus #WashHands @Banyana_Banyana @BafanaBafana pic.twitter.com/WgguBzLJMA
— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) April 2, 2020
He has been on top of his game for the past 17 years and his work ethic has made him one of the most respected officials in the league.
“You have to analyse your game in order to ensure that you improve as a referee. When you analyse your game and watch other matches, you get a clue as to where to improve. The analysis is called match situation analysis. It keeps you on your toes,” he said on how he has maintained high standards.
“Remember, you retire at 47 and I’m 44. I have three seasons to go. My future will be determined by the fitness and the federation. If I pass, I continue, and if I fail, it is the end. Fortunately, the body is still in good shape. It will be good if one can finish the race.
I’ve have been running well all these years. I’ve been in the elite league for 17 years now. I’ve never been substituted in a match,” Hlungwane said with a chuckle.