Kolokotoane dreams big

MASERU – It has been a decade since ‘Mathabo Kolokotoane started her winding journey in football refereeing.

Being a woman in a profession dominated by men has made the ride all the more challenging and, unsurprisingly, Kolokotoane’s journey has been one filled with many ups and downs.

It has been worth it, though. Today Kolokotoane is one of two Lesotho women, alongside Nteboheleng Setoko, who are on the FIFA list of international referees.

The annual list, which was released earlier this month, represents the highest level of achievement in refereeing and is a golden chance for match officials to showcase themselves on the international stage, on and off the field.

The FIFA list also includes two other local women, Puleng Mahomo and Polotso Maapara, who are included in their capacities as assistant referees and they regularly fly Lesotho’s flag abroad alongside Kolokotoane.

Just last September, Kolokotoane took charge of the 2022 COSAFA Women’s Championship final in South Africa which demonstrated the esteem in which she is held within refereeing circles.

It is more than Kolokotoane could have dreamed of when she started her basic refereeing courses back in 2012 when her goal was just to become a referee.

Today she is one of the most recognised referees in the country. It is a Friday afternoon when thepost meets her at Setsoto Stadium where she trains to keep fit.

It is two days before all match officials are due to undergo the Lesotho Football Association’s (LEFA) fitness checks which they go through at the beginning of every year before the second round of the league season starts.

Kolokotoane is understandably busy but she is able to spare a few minutes to speak to thepost and take a deep dive into her decade in refereeing.

Kolokotoane says she could not have imagined her staying-power in a male dominated industry and her experiences – good or bad – have never deterred her from dreaming big.

“It has not been an easy journey, especially when you are a female officiating men’s games, but I was able and I am still able to do it,” she says.

“A lot happens on the football pitch,” Kolokotoane adds.

“Sometimes it’s just (men) underestimating you (and saying) that ‘it’s a woman, she is not going to be able to do it’. You know, there are some things we say as Basotho that have to go in one ear and out of the other because they are not nice. Even if I enjoy the game on the field, spectators will always say what they want. It’s life.”

Kolokotoane had to overcome professional lows as well.

In 2020, she was invited to the boys’ COSAFA Under-17 Championship. It was a trip she was looking forward to but it never materialised because she failed a fitness test and was removed from the FIFA panel.

It was a crushing blow to a referee who had become renowned locally and was already enjoying a stellar career which included regular appointments at regional championships.

However, Kolokotoane did not let her removal from the panel define her, instead she used the setback to work hard to meet the required fitness levels needed to return to the FIFA panel.

In 2022, she regained her spot and retained it in the recent list released by FIFA.

Before the season resumes for the second round, referees run a fitness test in January to determine their fate. It is, therefore, important to stay in shape and maintain a certain level of fitness required for referees.

Failure to meet the standards has repercussions. For international referees, for instance, they could be removed from the FIFA panel. For Vodacom Premier League referees, they could be demoted to the second division.

Before moving into refereeing, Kolokotoane was an Under-17 girls coach in Mafeteng.

Born in Ribaneng in Mafeteng’s rural outskirts and with a few opportunities, she jumped from one sport to another while at school. Kolokotoane tried her hand at volleyball, netball and even shot-put and although she says she always had basic knowledge about football, it is one sport she hardly played.

Adjusting to a male dominated field like refereeing was not easy and, indeed, it is easy for any woman to quit.

Kolokotoane says such instances have presented themselves but she has persevered to become one of the well-known names in refereeing.

It is not just the supporters she has to deal with, it is coaches’ antics on the touchline and players who think they know better, but these are things she has come to accept as part and parcel of football.

As a woman working with men, she also has to deal with men who are always proclaiming their undying love for her. She says it is easy to be put off by such behaviour if one is not strong mentally.

“I am not someone who likes to lose,” Kolokotoane adds.

“When I see a man do something I say I can do it as well; if it needs physical ability, I can use my mind.”

The perks of being a top referee also keep her going.

“You realise there are a lot of benefits especially when you are an international referee so you get the urge to work hard,” she explains.

“I remember my first trip abroad; I was like I am going to take an airplane and was wondering what it’s like inside an airplane.”

“You realise they just need you as a referee. You don’t know how much it costs; all you know is that it will take you back home again. So, once you go, you get the urge to work hard to go back again and even the games become even nicer and you get to enjoy more,” she says.

Since 2014 when she became an international referee, she has been to several COSAFA championships at national team and club level. Her most recent tournament was the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Port Elizabeth last September.

Kolokotoane went all the way to the final where she took charge of Zambia’s high stakes win over hosts South Africa.

There are light-hearted moments on the field as well. Kolokotoane is often laughing with the players because either one has cracked a joke or called her Mr Ref.

It is a genuine oversight from players which she finds quite funny and says she is now used to.

“It’s nice inside the pitch, we are friends. The players will say jokes and some players will even say when this game is over ‘I am marrying you’. They call me Mr Ref, and I respond. It’s one of the funny things that happen on the pitch,” she says.

“One thing though, every woman who officiates now is ‘Mathabo and I tell them you are going to be in trouble because if ‘Mathabo made a mistake in the past games, once they see a woman, they are going to be saying ‘Mathabo this and ‘Mathabo that,” she laughs.

While Kolokotoane is happy to be climbing the ladder and carving out her own legacy in refereeing, she says helping those coming behind her is something that is close to her heart.

She says her wish is to see more women get into football and officiate big games.

“I am willing to help anyone who wants to be here; I want to also see myself officiating the likes of Matlama and other big clubs,” Kolokotoane says.

“I am ready to do so but one thing they have to know, it is not easy, you cannot be doing it just because so and so is doing it, there are so many challenges that can discourage you.”

Tlalane Phahla