With almost 300 professional matches behind him, Premier Soccer League (PSL) general manager of football Ace Ncobo will officially hang up his whistle on Sunday.
Ncobo had to say goodbye to his refereeing career after he took up his position at the PSL headquarters at the start of the month.
But thanks to PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza and the organisers of the SuperSport Under-19 Cup, Ncobo will blow the whistle for the last time on Sunday.
He will officiate in the final of the SuperSport Under-19 Cup in Soweto.
”I welcome the honour to allow me to say formally goodbye to a job I enjoyed and had the passion for over the last eight years,” said Ncobo.
”It’s really a good way to throw the whistle into the stands and lead the way for the next generation of referees to follow in my footsteps.”
The fact the Ncobo’s last match as the man in the middle is an Under-19 encounter does not bother the man from the Eastern Cape at all.
He said: ” I’ve always used the same approach throughout my career, whether it was an Under-12 match or an international game. Like wise, I use the same approach if there are 60 people in the stands or 60 000.”
The PSL’s 2007/08 referee of the season said he would like to leave a lasting legacy behind as the country goes in search of world-class whistle-men and -women. — Sapa