Who would be a referee?

Moroccan referee Said Belqora in the 1998 World Cup final.

Got an opinion on African football? Express it here!

Wherever you are in the world, if you are a follower of African football, then we want to hear from you.

Each week we throw up a different subject to let you speak your mind.

This week we are asking: Who would want to be a referee?

Referees are often the target for coaches, players and fans to vent their frustration over a lost game, a bad result or a poor decision.

Constantly the brunt of other people's abuse and rarely receiving credit for their work, it begs the question why would anybody have an ambition to be a referee?

Do you think referees get a raw deal or is the criticism aimed at the man(or woman)-in-black well-deserved?

Do referees get paid enough for their role; after all no sport could function without their presence.

Have you ever thought of becoming a referee? Can you tell us about experiences you have had as a referee, both good and bad?

Use the form on the right to tell others where you stand on this debate.

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Fifa should use the state of the art technology that assists referees employed by the American Major League football association. Technology is employed to review uncertain situations, before the referee announces with a microphone his decision to the whole stadium. It cannot be better than this; at least for now.
Anthony Okosun, California - USA

Referees are human beings and are liable to make mistakes but sometimes these mistakes are suspect.
Musa Conteh, Sierra Leone

I want to say one thing here. Premiership referees in England are bias. I hope referees like Poll and Dowd are demoted to the second division. Especially after Dowd's performance that robbed Wigan their victory against Arsenal
Paul Ekarika, Lagos - Nigeria

Interpretation of the law of the game by referees in the blink of an eye is not easy. Referees are always blamed when a team lose, especially by supporters of the home side.

Coaches and players make officiating difficult; many blame the referees rather than blaming their team for a woeful performance. No referee would trade his reputation for financial gain.

As a referee, I have had a good time officiating and bad times too. The pressure to get the right decision in a match is always in conflict with the fear of being mobbed by fans. In Africa, security levels are below standard. One match I refereed descended into fighting when I awarded a penalty to the away team, two minutes into stoppage time. I went home with a swollen face. Being a referee is something I am proud of despite the raw deal we get from fans, coaches and players.
Afuwape Taiwo, Nigeria

The referees in Europe should be excused for some of their errors as they are only human. They are well paid therefore I don't see any reason why they should under perform. However, I have seen some terrible refereeing in Africa with some decisions that are out of this world. They are paid like peasants consequently there is much room for corruption. Some referees in Africa will help a team divert a shot into the opponent's goal for a farthing!
Lanre Adeola, Nigeria

Referees, like all other workers or professionals, will often be criticised. Referees should be able to have a press conference after each game to explain their actions.
Alex Ashu, Cameroonian, Netherlands