MBABANE – Eswatini’s celebrated video match official Letticia Viana has been sensationally omitted from the final list of officials for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America, marking a disappointing ‘snub’ for the COSAFA region.
Despite her recent historic achievement of officiating in the epic Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Morocco this past January, Viana failed to make the final cut. Following that continental success, she attended an elite international seminar which served as the ultimate ‘qualifier’ for the global showpiece. However, the outcomes of the seminar proved harsh for Southern African representation.
Out of 30 video match officials who made the cut, only two from Africa were selected by FIFA’s Referees Committee. The chosen duo are Mahmoud Ashour of Egypt and El Fariq Hamza from Morocco. Their selection leaves the entire COSAFA bloc without a representative in the video technology department, despite the region’s growing reputation for officiating excellence.
While Viana and her regional peers face exclusion, Eswatini’s neighbours, South Africa, found reason to celebrate. Abongile Tom has been confirmed as a centre referee, while Zakhele Siwela will serve as an assistant referee, ensuring some COSAFA presence on the pitch.
The stakes for selection are not merely professional but also financial. Officiating at a FIFA World Cup is a lucrative endeavour; typically, match officials receive a basic fee of approximately US$70 000 (about E1.14 million) for the tournament, with additional match fees ranging from E49 000 (US$3 000) to over E82 000 per fixture.
For Viana, the focus now shifts back to continental assignments as she reflects on a missed opportunity to represent the kingdom on the world’s most prestigious football stage this June.
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