Every nation on Earth looks forward to the World Cup, one of, if not the most, exciting tournaments in the history of humanity. Countries from all over compete over the course of a few weeks, some big and some small.

While most people focus on the countries and the players, there is one part of the beautiful game that people talk about. And that is the referees. The 12th man on the field who oversees the major and important decisions. The referee himself, the linesman, all of which are important positions. And the position of linesman was filled by one of Maldives’ own in the 2002 World Cup.

Mohamed Saeed is one of the most prolific referees of Maldives’ time, known for refereeing some of the most memorable matches in the 2002 World Cup. Maldives may not have gone on to play in the World Cup, but the nation has some key moments that are worth remembering.

The very first national football tournament was held in 1948, where four football clubs were established in the four wards of Male’, initiated by the first President of Maldives Mohamed Ameen Didi: Maafannu ‘Fiyaathoshi’ (pink) Club, Galolhu Green Club, Henveiru Sports Club and Machangolhi Sports Club.

Named the National Football Tournament, two teams claimed the title, marking the beginning of football in Maldives.

The Maldivian national football team has won silver medals in the SAF Games held in 1991, along with the South Asian Championship held in 1997. In the 2008 South Asian Championship, Maldives beat India to win a gold medal, earning their first international cup win. Their second championship came about in 2018 in the same tournament.

Maldives had an exceptional run in 2009 during the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers with 2 wins and 1 loss, along with 3 wins and 2 draws in the 2009 SAFF Championship.

In 2002, Maldives competed in the World Cup qualifiers but did not move on to the World Cup itself. Their scores from six games are as follows:

This was the World Cup Mohamed Saeed was set to officiate in as a linesman.

Mohamed Saeed officiated multiple matches:

The group stage match between Argentina and England.

Germany vs. Cameroon (which earned him an assessment that ranked him among the top-performing Asian assistant referees during the group stage).

Officiated the Brazil vs. Belgium match in the Round of 16.

Officiated the Brazil vs. England match in the quarter finals.

Saeed’s time as an assistant referee in the 2002 World Cup put Maldives on the map, and is known as Maldives’ first true representation on the world football stage, with no other Maldivian coming after him in a World Cup.

Saeed looked back fondly when we asked how he came into the journey of refereeing and what inspired him.

People from various age groups created organizations and took part in tournaments, which took place in the Galolhu Stadium. Divisions did not exist back then, where teams from islands and Victory Sports Club, Alliance Sports Club, etc would play against each other.

He was a player in the Thinadhoo team when late Zahir Naseer was a referee, and Umar Zahir was in charge of the sports division. There were not a lot of referees at the time, with Saeed estimating there may have been around six active referees then. Because of this and because there were a lot of teams from the islands, Zahir Naseer and a few others decided to conduct a referee course. Each organization got three opportunities.

At the time, there was no actual equipment for refereeing. Clothes on sticks, jerseys, wearing regular t-shirts, etc, even with these minimalistic resources, he stepped in to referee with no real thought of becoming a referee at the time. But when he was approached to take part in the referee course when the organizations were offered the opportunity, he said yes. He used to observe matches when they were being played while he was going through the course. Those that were in the course would climb onto the roof of the stadium with chairs and observe the ongoing game, with all of these coming together being the result of why his interest in becoming a referee flowered into being.

The course at the time would last as long as the Male’ tournament. The tournament would usually begin on 15th August, which would go on for two to three months due to the number of teams taking part.  

He said that during the course, Zahir Naseer would give a pencil and a book to those who had enrolled and tasked them with specific responsibilities. One would note down how many times the ball went out, another would track offsides, fouls, some would check whether the fouls were valid, and so on. This was why the course ran as long as it did. Now, he said, a course can last 10 days.

He went on to say that he participated in the referee course in 1979, with him coming out to referee matches in 1980. More opportunities to referee games started coming in after that. The sports division would assign referees to matches on the day itself, with Saeed being asked to serve as a linesman on those occasions. In 1993, he went to the FIFA organization in Malaysia, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to get certified and the rest was history.

When answering a question as to which was the first international competition he had officiated and what he remembers most about the experience, Saeed started by saying that he got the opportunity to go to the 1993 South Asian Games (SAF Games) in December to Dhaka, Bangladesh as a referee. His fondest memory from that tournament is the cold weather, the rickshaw rides and his role as a linesman in the final match between India and Nepal. The discussions held after the matches, where constructive criticism and how they can improve were also fresh in his mind.

Saeed is known as the first ever Maldivian to have served as an assistant referee in a World Cup, and we asked how he got the opportunity. He answered that during the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Nigeria while he was officiating, a high ranking official from the FIFA referee committee asked to speak to him one day after their morning training session. They talked about Saeed’s previous experiences in FIFA tournaments and asked him to keep working hard and he may be able to referee in even bigger FIFA tournaments. 

His interest to perform even better for the future started blossoming from then on, with his name being shortlisted as a candidate for the 2002 World Cup shortly after.

Saeed spoke of his experience in the 2002 World Cup with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. He spoke of the Argentina vs. England match where he worked alongside legendary Pierluigi Collina. He said that Collina was absolutely dedicated to his craft. He would speak to all the referees before a match and discuss how players would play, tactics, strategy, what to look out for, etc. He would compile information as best as possible to serve the game better. He said Collina was fair and would not discriminate no matter the situation.

He moved on to answer which World Cup match stood out in his memory the most, and spoke about the major knockout matches he officiated, which included the Brazil vs. Belgium match and the Brazil vs. England match. In his memory, the matches that stood out the most were the first match he officiated between Argentina and England where he refereed alongside Collina, and his very last match officiating the quarter final match between Brazil and England. 

He said that he has always been an England supporter, with him remembering the match England won against Argentina fondly in the match he officiated, and remembered in a bittersweet manner the match England lost and left the World Cup.

Saeed was a football player before he became a referee, and when asked whether he had always dreamed of representing the Maldives as a player at the World Cup qualifiers, he said that he did not have any such dreams or aspirations. And when answering how it felt to instead represent the country as a referee, he said that what once started as a hobby became a budding career but he did it for the nation and not for himself. He said he is quite happy to have put the country on the map, to have brought Maldives to the spotlight.

While answering what it means to him to have been the only Maldivian to have represented the country at a FIFA World Cup, he stated that it was not something he did alone. He did it with the help of referees, the football association, the sports division and more. Getting to where he is was only possible with the aid of everyone around him, said Saeed. 

We asked him whether he would come out of retirement to officiate another World Cup given the chance, especially if the Maldives qualified. He answered that it is sadly something that cannot happen due to his age and because he did not maintain his peak fitness. He said that if he had kept up his fitness he would have considered it, as he would need to pass the fitness test due to a change in regulations. Previously, age was one factor as referees will not get the chance to referee matches after they turn 45 years old. However, this regulation was changed where as long as referees passed the fitness test, they can referee games. And because the age regulation was in place back when he retired, he did not maintain his peak fitness.

Saeed had simple but impactful advice to those who want to become a referee from Maldives. He said that it does not matter where they may be from. He said that he is from such a small nation, but he has been able to referee some of the biggest tournaments in the world. He said it was because of his own effort and hard work. To always take opportunities where they may come and to do the best one possibly can. He said the country of origin does not matter. What only matters is one’s will and how one decides to work toward their dream.