Leemisa Thuseho
LESOTHO will have no representation at the upcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup after no local official made the final list of match officials for the tournament.
World football governing body, FIFA, has unveiled its official roster of referees, assistant referees, and Video Match Officials (VMOs) for the global showpiece, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11 June to 19 July.
The list, issued last week, comprises 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 VMOs, but none are from Lesotho.
Hopes had been high that the country’s most decorated assistant referee, Souru Phatšoane, would make the cut based on his vast experience and consistent presence at top-level continental competitions.
Phatšoane made history at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as the first Mosotho to officiate at football’s biggest global tournament.
Despite his modesty, he has established himself as one of Africa’s leading assistant referees of his generation. Over the years, he has officiated in the finals of several major continental competitions, including the Under-17 AFCON, CAF Super Cup, African Nations Championship (CHAN), and FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
His profile has continued to rise, highlighted by his role in officiating the 2021 CAF Confederation Cup final between Raja Casablanca of Morocco and JS Kabylie of Algeria.
In the same year, he rewrote the history books by becoming the first Lesotho referee to officiate at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
His most recent major assignment was at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, where he officiated up to the quarterfinal stage.
Among the African officials selected for the 2026 tournament are Artan Omar Abdulkladir (Somalia), Pierre Atcho (Gabon), Dahane Beida (Mauritania), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Jalal Jayed (Morocco), Mohamed Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt), and Abongile Tom (South Africa).
FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, said the selected officials represent the very best in the world.
“The selected are the best in the world and were part of a wider pool of officials identified and monitored over the past three years,” Collina said in a statement.
“They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments. In addition, their performances in both domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”
Speaking to the Lesotho Times this week, the Chairperson of the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) Referees Committee, Tebalo Mpiti, acknowledged that expectations were high for Phatšoane’s inclusion.
However, he stressed that the omission should not be seen as a reflection of poor performance.
“It is true we had expected him to make the cut, especially after his recent performances at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco where he officiated up to the quarterfinals.
“His omission does not mean he has not been performing well. The issue is that referees are often selected as part of a team from one country. In his case, he did not have a consistent team. Sometimes he would work with South African officials, and other times with referees from Botswana or Kenya.
“I believe assessments were made based on the performance of these teams,” Mpiti said.
He also highlighted the need for greater investment in developing referees, particularly at grassroots level.
“We have promising referees who can break through on the international stage. In regional tournaments such as COSAFA, our officials have even handled finals.
“But if we are to produce future stars like Phatšoane, we must invest in developing young referees at district level.
“It is unfortunate that football administrators often favour established referees for district tournaments, denying younger officials valuable opportunities to grow,” Mpiti said.
