The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, officially launched a five-day FIFA Member Association (MA) Referees Assessors Course at the National Technical Training Centre (NTTC) in Old Yundum.
The intensive course, which runs from 4th to 8th August 2026, brought together 29 referee assessors, including two women, for advanced capacity building aimed at enhancing the quality of referee assessment in The Gambia. The course is being organised by the GFF in collaboration with FIFA and directed by FIFA/CAF Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed from Somalia, who is serving as the Technical Instructor.
Presiding over the event, GFF President Mr Lamin Kaba Bajo first welcomed the participants and underscored the importance of the training, noting that refereeing standards in The Gambia are growing higher.
“The performance and continued improvement of our referees depend greatly on the quality of the assessors. Refereeing standards have changed significantly over the past six years, and I urge all participants to take this training seriously, remain honest, proactive and professional in assessing our referees,” President Bajo remarked.
Mr Bajo also encouraged the participants to actively engage throughout the course and make the best use of the learning opportunity available.
Speaking earlier, GFF Referees Committee Chairman and Executive Committee Member Mr John Frank Mendy described Referees assessors as vital pillars in the development of referees, stressing that their evaluations must be objective and consistent.
“The federation cannot have any successful referees without competent assessors”, he noted. He said assessors play a crucial role in identifying the strengths, correcting weaknesses and ensuring referees continue to improve. Let us work together to maintain the integrity of officiating,” he stressed.
FIFA/CAF Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed said the primary objective of the training program is to equip assessors with the latest knowledge and amendments to the Laws of the Game while enhancing their capacity to mentor referees.
“This course is designed to update assessors on the latest amendments to the Laws of the Game and elevate their role beyond evaluation to becoming true coaches and mentors of referees. Your responsibility is to support, encourage and guide referees towards higher standards,” Ali noted
He added that the programme will cover the objectives of referee assessment, recent changes to the Laws of the Game and practical approaches to improving assessment techniques.
The five-day course forms part of the federation’s continued commitment to developing match officials and strengthening refereeing standards across the country through continuous education and capacity building.
Other support facilitators include John Frank Mendy as Technical Instructor, along with Dikory Jawo. At the same time, Musa Jallow and Dawda Danso (Kanu) both serve as fitness instructors, whereas Seedy Manneh serves as Course Director.
