Felix Tangawarima Biography | Age, Career as a Referee, Honours and Recognition
This is the biography of Felix Tangawarima a retired Zimbabwean referee and current Confederation of African Football (CAF) senior referees’ instructor.
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Age
Felix Tangawarima was born in 1958.
Career as a Referee
Tangawarima has officiated at numerous Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments since making his debut at the 2000 edition co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria. Despite it being his first AFCON final, he demonstrated a firm, no-nonsense approach to officiating.
One of Tangawarima’s most memorable moments came when he sent off Nigerian star player Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha during a quarter-final match against Senegal at the 2000 AFCON. Despite the intimidating Nigerian home crowd, he did not let external factors influence his decision-making and sent Okocha off for elbowing an opponent. This was the only time Okocha was sent off during his international career.
Tangawarima’s performance at the 2000 AFCON paved the way for him to officiate at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he refereed the Spain vs. Chile match.
In 1988, Tangawarima joined the FIFA refereeing panel as a representative from Zimbabwe, and he retired from active refereeing in 2003 after officiating at various levels. The following year, he became a CAF instructor, and in 2008, he joined FIFA as a referees’ instructor responsible for developing match officials in Africa.
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Honours and Recognition
The Southern African football body, COSAFA, appointed Tangawarima as their referees’ manager.
