Nation not surprised by World Cup nod

Oshane Nation, Jamaica’s top referee, has described his appointment by FIFA to officiate at this year’s FIFA Men’s World Cup as timely, noting that he was not surprised by his selection.

Nation, along with Trinidad and Tobago’s Caleb Wales, has been named to the record-breaking ‘FIFA Team One’ for the sport’s biggest global showpiece. The tournament, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will run from June 11 to July 19 and will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches.

A FIFA-listed referee since 2018, Nation becomes only the second Jamaican to officiate at a World Cup, joining Peter Prendergast, who served at the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea.

“I wouldn’t say that I was surprised by the appointment because you would have put in the work over the years and of course, you believe in your quality and I do believe that I can represent at the highest level,” said Nation.

“I would say that it was timely but there was a point in the journey where I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen because of different variables.”

“But I wasn’t surprise by the outcome because I believe in my quality for sure but in all of this, I am really grateful as it wouldn’t have been possible without friends and family and all the stakeholders, who would have assisted me along the way to make this a reality and the ultimate person is the almighty God,” he said.

PREPARING FOR TOURNAMENT

Now 35 years old with 13 years of officiating experience, Nation added that his preparation remains consistent as he gears up for the historic tournament.

“The preparations never stop because I have always been preparing, so it is just to continue to get myself match ready in terms of fitness and just continue to do the things that I have been doing to get this far,” he said.

“This means the world to me because this is the stage that referees dream of officiating in and so for me, it means so much for me and my family and also for the referee family in Jamaica, in the Caribbean and in Concacaf and so I will forever be grateful,” Nation stated.

Off the field, Nation serves as a physical education teacher at Innswood High School in St Catherine, balancing his professional duties with his international refereeing career.

Looking ahead, Nation pointed out he is ready to embrace whatever opportunities come his way on football’s biggest stage.

“I am going there with an open mind and whatever opportunity that may arise, I am ready to grab it and go. I am also pretty much ready for whatever challenge that I may face ahead.”

As he prepares for the biggest assignment of his career, Nation also reflected on the broader refereeing fraternity in Jamaica, pointing out both its quality and the human element of the profession.

“I think we have a lot of quality referees in Jamaica but remember that we are all human beings and we are going to make mistakes and even me because there are times when I make mistakes, so in whatever task that you are doing you are never going to be perfect,” Nation underscored.

“It is about us getting as consistent as we can and even when you are consistent you are going to make mistakes, so it is about minimising our mistakes and trying to be the best version of ourselves.”