Dar Es Salaam — LOCAL referees have once again failed to break into the world bracket, after FIFA snubbed them from officiating at the World Cup set for South Africa mid this year.

Over the weekend, the world soccer governing body designated referees retained for the much awaited event, were Africa will be represented by four central referees and eight assistant referees - none is from Tanzania.

Those picked are Mohamed Benouza (Algeria), Nasser Abdel Nadi (Egypt), Maamar Chabane (Algeria), Koman Coulibaly (Mali), Redouane Achik (Morocco), Redouane Achik (Morocco), Manuel Candido (Angola), Jerome Damon (South Africa), Celestin Ntagungira (Rwanda), Enock Molefe (South Africa), Eddy Allen Maillet (Seychelles), Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon) and Bechir Hassani (Tunisia).

General Secretary of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Fredrick Mwakalebela expressed concern and called for local referees to improve their standard, if they are to earn global reputation. "It's a challenge to our referees. They need to improve their standard.

Certainly, we have at least seven referees who have got FIFA badges but they should not consider that to be the end of it all there is more than that to explore in the world stage.

There are lots of opportunities out there but quality is what is needed most. "They (referees) should strive to get training that will improve their standard.

It's sad that our referees can hardly earn a call up even to officiate regional tournaments, let alone the continental ones. We need a lasting solution to this problem," said Mwakalebela.

When asked for comments the Chairman of Football Referees Association of Tanzania (FRAT) Omary Abdulkadir, was somewhat reluctant to respond, but opined that improvement was calling for local whistle blowers and their assistants.

Recently, not a single referee from Tanzania was lined up for the African Nations Cup finals that took place from January 10 to 31 in Angola. And Abdulkadir conceded that Tanzanian referees were not good enough for the job.

Tanzania has never produced a referee for the World Cup since the global most coveted soccer tournament's inception in 1930.

Hope are scant that the local referees would make it to that stage within the near future, basing on their performance that regularly caused stir among soccer lovers in the country.

There have been unending fans' complaints on the poor standard of referees during league matches and in October last year the TFF's Competitions Committee banned for life four referees after being implicated in match fixing scandal, but the decision was later overturned by the federation's Disciplinary Committee.