Chief Referee
Retires Without Regret
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
( 4/12/2004 Monrovia) After
nearly a decade, Idriss Kaba has been retired. He last served as chief
referee of Liberia as well as FIFA and CAF referee. He spoke to our
reporter on the game he loves best. Here are excerpts.
LiberianSoccer.com: Do you regret
leaving the game you love?
Idrissa Kaba: I am not leaving the
game and I have no regret. I consider my retirement from refereeing as
a graduation for the real job of football. I have no regret because I
consider refereeing as a school where I learned what I am going to put
into service. That means preparing people to do what I failed to do,
if there is any.
LiberianSoccer.com: What is your
next move after retirement?
Idrissa Kaba: My next move is go
to higher heights. I can be a referee instructor and CAF match
commissioner or FIFA referee inspector.
LiberianSoccer.com: Do you still
have a role to play in the referee association?
Idrissa Kaba: Refereeing deals
with all those who played a role in football. You are a person who
knows all those tricks. I did some courses in coaching and sports
administration. So, I knew any attempt by a player or club official.
LiberianSoccer.com: When did you
begin as a referee?
Idrissa Kaba: It was in 1986 here
in Monrovia, through the encouragement of J. Sackie Kennedy who had
been behind me since 1981.
LiberianSoccer.com: What was your
first match as a referee?
Idrissa Kaba: My first match was during a referee training
in 1986.
LiberianSoccer.com: When did you
become a FIFA and CAF referee?
Idrissa Kaba: It was in 1994. I was assistant referee, then
called a linesman. In 1997, I became a center referee.
LiberianSoccer.com: Have you ever
participated in a World Cup or Nations Cup finals?
Idrissa Kaba: No. I only
participated in the preliminaries of both the World Cup and the
African Nations Cup, not the finals.
LiberianSoccer.com: Which match do
you think was your best game?
Idrissa Kaba: The match that I
received more commendations. Within my own self, I knew I had a very
good game. That was between Sierra Leone and Morocco in Freetown.
LiberianSoccer.com: Can you
remember performing poorly during your career?
Idrissa Kaba: I performed poorly
one time in Mali during training. I was not fit and running was giving
me hard time. If I had a match commissioner, he would have considered
my performance as poor.
LiberianSoccer.com: What really
moved you to become a referee?
Idrissa Kaba: The encouragement
from my friend, J. Sackie Kennedy. He loved my height, personality and
the fact that I was a bi-linguist.
LiberianSoccer.com: Having already
retired, are there other roles you are playing in the game?
Idrissa Kaba: I am a technician
and a technician cannot retire. I am an elected member of a panel of
instructors of the Liberia Football Referees Association. So, I am
still playing a role in football.
LiberianSoccer.com: Had anyone
attempted to bribe you during your career?
Idrissa Kaba: Those are things
that happen. Here, it happened only one time.
LiberianSoccer.com: If someone
came to bribe you, what was your action?
Idrissa Kaba: I just give the
person pieces of advice. Use that money on the players that are doing
the job, not to take it to anybody.
LiberianSoccer.com: Where matches
sometimes difficult for you?
Idrissa Kaba: At times,
difficulties come in administrative certain. I had an experience in an
Under-20 match. The match was difficult because I had no match
commissioner. I played two roles of referee and match commissioner and
the match was delayed for some time.
LiberianSoccer.com: How did you
reduce tension on the pitch?
Idrissa Kaba: A good referee is a
person who knows when to laugh, smile and when to be serious with
players. I know how to apply these things.
LiberianSoccer.com: What was your
relationship with players and team officials?
Idrissa Kaba: My relationship with
players and team officials was the best. I didn't have problems with
most of them. Some of the players called me "papay".
LiberianSoccer.com: What is your
message to Liberian referees?
Idrissa Kaba: To train hard and to
be responsible because fitness counts as number one. Your health first
and physical fitness. You have to do physical fitness on your own.
LiberianSoccer.com: What else have
you been doing for living?
Idrissa Kaba: I am business man. I
run my own forex bureau.
LiberianSoccer.com: Are you
married and have children?
Idrissa Kaba: I am married with
five children.
LiberianSoccer.com: Who has been
your role model?
Idrissa Kaba: Mason C. Goe. |
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