WINDHOEK – Local and international football referee Rainhold Shikongo died in a motor vehicle accident on the Okahandja-Otjiwarongo road on Saturday evening.
Namibia Football Association referees’ manager Edwarth Boy-Boy Ndjadila confirmed Shikongo’s death to Nampa on Monday, stating that the car he was driving overturned at around 19h00 on Saturday, some 70 kilometres before Okahandja. Shikongo was 34.
He became an International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) referee in 2007, and officiated at the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, beginning with the preliminary round match between Lesotho and Burundi.
Ndjadila described Shikongo as a tolerant referee, and one who always put discipline ahead of his work.
Shikongo was a member of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), where he served in that ministry’s sports division, also as a referee, in the capital.
“Shikongo was a very good referee and one of the best in Africa,” said Ndjadila, adding that he was an understanding and accommodating referee.
“Being from the Defence, he brought discipline to refereeing in the country,” he stated.
Ndjadila further said that Shikongo was one of the top referees in Africa, a “spot that is hard to reach.”
“This guy was recognised by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and there is no way we can replace him,” he added. – Nampa
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