Views: 3
Among the promising talents at the ongoing CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals in Zanzibar, is Libya’s Zakaria Ibrahim Al-Ghaithy who has shone brightly at the youth competition.
At just 15, Al-Ghaithy – although small in stature has a commanding demeanor that has earned him the recognition and respect of all the players, coaches and officials at the ongoing tournament.
Speaking to CAFOnline from the Amaan Stadium where the competition is taking place between 21 – 24 May, the young referee shared his journey and ultimate dream of one day officiating at a the highest level of African football.
“I surprise a lot of people when I say I am a referee, and they only believe me once they actually see me in action. I started working as a fourth referee in Libya in my community where people started taking notice of me. The biggest challenge that I sometimes face is people not following my instructions because of my stature and because I am young. I don’t let that discourage me. I still push and remind them of the rules of the game, and through that, I am seen as a tough referee”, said the bold 15-year-old.
In line with the CAF African Schools Football Championship’s vision of developing future African leaders, CAF introduced amongst other workshops, the CAF Young Referee’s Workshop which Al-Ghaithy graduated from on Wednesday, 23 May.
At the tender age of 15, the youngster is already having dreams of blowing the whistle at CAF’s flagship tournament, the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations one day.
“I hope to be an international referee one day. My biggest wish for the future is to be one of the referee’s at the AFCON, and one day the World Cup so I can make Libya proud”, he added.
Al-Ghaithy is one of many examples of the success of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, which comes to a grand close on Friday, 24 May where the winners will be crowned in Zanzibar.
All matches, including the final will be live on CAF’s official YouTube channel, CAF TV.