Teenage ref makes history at Region 5 Games Raphael Mbotela

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Zambian promising referee Raphael Mbotela has officiated his first international football match at the ongoing Region 5 Youth Games in Maseru, Lesotho.

Raphael Mbotela was the referee in charge of the match between Botswana and Namibia Under-17 girls game at the on-going Region 5 Youth Games.

Mbotela, who was also the fourth official of Saturday’s Under-17 boys match between Angola and Botswana, was assisted by Musa Nkomo of Eswatini and Aldair Carmelino of Angola. The fourth official was Moselantja Mbhele of Lesotho.

COSAFA Referees Manager, Felix Tangawarima of Zimbabwe, has heaped praise on Zambian teenage referee Mbotela who officiated the Under-17 girls match between Botswana and Namibia at the Region 5 Games.

“I am extremely happy with the performance of the young boy,” the Zimbabwean said.

“He did everything right. We had the boy for five days in the pre-tournament course and the bottom line is we are very happy and excited about him.

“We will assign an Instructor in Zambia to continue developing him. I urge other national associations to identify and develop these youngsters as well.”

Meanwhile, Zambia have cruised to the girls’ Under-17 football crown at the Region 5 Youth Games Maseru 2020 with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Botswana in the final at the Setsotso Stadium on Monday.

Zambia finished the competition unbeaten in their three matches and without having conceded a goal as they emphasised their quality and lived up to their billing as the pre-tournament favourites.

They are also the first side from the COSAFA region to claim the trophy in this age-group competition, after Uganda won the inaugural Southern African championship in 2019 and Tanzania claimed the victory last year.

Zambia were deserved winners, with Jessy Zulu and Lucy Kajiya grabbing first half goals, and skipper Pumulo Lubasi and Gracious Tailoshi adding two more in the second period. The strike from Tailoshi was one to remember as she thundered in a superb free-kick from a difficult angle.

The excellent Lubasi was named as Player of the Tournament, which comes with an incredible opportunity of spending a week in Spain as a guest of La Liga Santander, where she will take in the sights and sounds of one of the world’s great footballing nations, train with an academy and hopefully take in a La Liga match.

The same opportunity will be afforded to the best player in the boys’ competition that concluded yesterday.

Kajiya claimed the Golden Boot for her three goals that saw her as the leading scorer, while Zambia goalkeeper Chitete Munsaka takes home the Golden Glove. The team Fair Play award went to Botswana. — Afrinews-Sports Reporter

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