JOHANNESBURG: Former international referee Victor Gomes and football administrator Linda Zwane will chair two key COSAFA committees following the appointment of nine South Africans to the regional football body’s committees and independent boards.
Gomes will lead the Referees Committee, while Zwane will chair the Technical and Development Committee, the South African Football Association (SAFA) announced on Wednesday.
The appointments give South African officials roles across refereeing, technical development, finance, medicine, commercial rights and football governance.
SAFA described the selections as “a strong vote of confidence in the expertise and contribution of South African football professionals”, saying South Africa remained among the most represented member associations in COSAFA’s committee structure.
Gomes and Zwane to lead key committees
Gomes takes responsibility for a committee concerned with refereeing standards, while Zwane will lead work on technical development, including coaching and player development.
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Zwane already serves on COSAFA’s executive committee, having been co-opted following the regional body’s elective general assembly in Harare in May.
SAFA said the appointments offered South Africa an opportunity “to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of football across the Southern African region”, while encouraging cooperation and the sharing of expertise among member associations.
Who has been appointed
The nine South African appointees and their respective roles are:
| Appointee | Committee or independent body |
| Victor Gomes | Chairperson, Referees Committee |
| Linda Zwane | Chairperson, Technical and Development Committee |
| Mxolisi Sibam | Finance Committee |
| Dr Thulani Khangelani Ngwenya | Medical Committee |
| Pius Clive Nqandela | Commercial and Television Committee |
| Pooblan Govindasamy | Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee |
| Tankiso Modipa | Disciplinary Board |
| Andile Ngconjana | Ethics Board |
| Job Mchunu | Governance and Compliance Committee |
“SAFA congratulates all nine appointees on their appointments and acknowledges the confidence placed in their respective expertise, experience and commitment to the development of football,” the association said.
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Supporting football across Southern Africa
The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations brings together 14 member associations: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It organises regional competitions, including the senior men’s COSAFA Cup, women’s and youth championships, and beach soccer tournaments.
Its standing committees advise the executive committee on matters ranging from refereeing and technical development to finance and commercial rights. Independent disciplinary and ethics bodies deal with misconduct cases.
The appointments follow the election of Botswana’s Tariq Babitseng as COSAFA president in May. He stood unopposed and called for greater unity among the region’s football associations.
“This is not a victory for one person or one nation, but a victory for unity in Southern Africa,” Babitseng said at the time.
