08 Feb 2022

 Botswana may not have qualified for Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Cameroon recently, but fans had their eyes glued to television screens, thanks to great exploits of  leading local referee, Joshua Bondo.

Social media was awash with positive reviews for Bondo, some going to the extent of asking why he was not accorded an opportunity to be referee in the final.

He was part of 24 match officials that took charge of the just-ended tournament.

In an interview after landing at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport today, Bondo said he was happy with his performance, adding that he received positive feedback from his superiors.

He admitted that he relished his AFCON sojourn.

He stated that he had gained a lot of experience at the AFCON, tournament and intended to share with Botswana referees..

Bondo aka The Sprinter had an opportunity to use Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which is yet to be introduced in the domestic league.

Quizzed on why he seemed to differ with VAR in a game between Tunisia and Burkina Faso, Bondo said he was not in any position to talk about the decisions he took, safe to say VAR was meant to assist the referee.

The final decision, he added, lied with the middleman, adding the most important thing when officiating was to follow the rules of the game.

“VAR is the instrument used to correct the referee in case of errors, mind you it is operated by a person and at the end of the day, as a middleman, you have the right to stick by your decisions or agree with VAR,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bondo will tomorrow leave for South Africa to officiate a CAF Championship League clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Alhilal of Sudan.

He appreciated that CAF continued to show confidence in him, adding that he was only left without two years to retire.

“I think next year I am making my last AFCON, so my desire is to see more referees from Botswana officiating at international level,” he said.

Bondo said his dream was to officiate at a FIFA World Cup before his retirement, adding that he was crossing his fingers to make the cut in the November World Cup billed for Qatar.

“I have done three AFCONs, so honestly what is left for me is the World Cup,” he said. ENDs