THREE LEAGUE GAMES IN BULAWAYO, SAME REFEREE

THREE LEAGUE GAMES IN BULAWAYOGrace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE giants CAPS United have questioned whether it is just coincidence, or it’s by design, that all their three Castle Lager Premiership matches in Bulawayo this year have been handled by the same referee.

The Green Machine have sought clarification from the Premier Soccer League after it emerged that only one referee, Thabani Bamala, has been assigned to handle their league matches in the City of Kings this year.

CAPS United were beaten 1-2 by How Mine and edged Chicken Inn 2-1 in May this year while they lost 0-1 to Highlanders, whom they meet in the reverse league match at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday, earlier this month.

Veteran forward Leonard Tsipa was sent off for violent conduct in the match against Bosso, in a turning point in that game, for head-butting his opponent and has since apologised for his moment of madness which cost his team.

But Tsipa also claims his repeated complaints to Bamala, that he was being targeted by the opposition, were ignored.

CAPS United have written a letter to PSL where, among other things, they want explanation as to why Bamala keeps being assigned to handle their matches in the City of Kings.

The Harare giants also want the league to explain if PSL chairman Peter Dube, who is also the Highlanders boss, is still the leader of the ZIFA Referees Committee.

When the season started, the ZIFA Referees Office handled all the appointments but after ZIFA was briefly dissolved, and NAFAZ was born, this was changed.

PSL boss Peter Dube was then handed the task to be the chairman of the referees committee.

Without the ZIFA secretariat in place, the referees’ portfolio was handed over to the PSL secretariat, something which Chicken Inn secretary-general Tavengwa Hara claims is a violation of the association’s Constitution.

Hara warns there is a danger that all matches being handled by referees appointed by the PSL secretariat run the risk of being deemed social games given that they are being handled by “ghost referees.”

“The ZIFA Constitution is very clear on who appoints referees, which is a very sensitive area in football, and that power can never be vested in the PSL secretariat and the scenario that we have right now is a violation of the bible that should guide our operations,” Hara said.

“What we are having right now are just social games, and not PSL matches, and these results can be challenged because the people who are handling the matches are not being appointed in accordance with the ZIFA Constitution.”

Yesterday, the PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele said there were a lot of complaints being received related to the referees’ appointments, and performance, from the clubs.

He said he was surprised by the furore as the PSL secretariat were doing their best handling that portfolio so that the game remains alive.

Ndebele said there was nothing amiss with the appointment of Bamala as the PSL only started to handle the referees’ portfolio in June and were not involved in earlier appointments.

“We only came in from Match Day 9. We were not responsible for matches that CAPS United played on Match Day 6 and Match Day 8.

“And there are many scenarios like the one CAPS United have raised that we noticed with a team like Harare City also getting the same referee in Bulawayo in a space of four weeks.

“It is important for everyone to understand and appreciate that we are only doing this task because there is no one at the moment to do it until ZIFA appoints a new Referees Committee.

“We are doing it to keep the game going. It is really becoming a headache for us when we thought it was just about playing football,” said Ndebele. He said they have been doing everything aboveboard, but it appears some clubs think that the league’s president, Dube, who is also the chairman of Highlanders, is involved in the appointment of the referees.

“After NAFAZ collapsed, everything went back to what it was before June 3, so Mr Dube who was appointed the chairman of the Referees Committee under those committees which were set by NAFAZ, ceased to be one.

“CAPS United in their letter also asked if Dube is the chairman of the Referees Committee, but the answer is ‘no.’ He is not even anywhere near where those appointments are being made.

“We got a background when we took over and had a schedule, we got a list of referees, the assistants and where they stay and we looked backwards who has been handling which type of matches and so forth.

“If we had not done so, there were not going to be any matches being played right now. But we hope ZIFA will appoint a Referees Committee soon.”

He said Chicken Inn have also been complaining why Gweru referee Thomas Massa was appointed to handle their match against FC Platinum in Bulawayo.

“But they are the same club that were praising the same referee when he handled their season opener against Dynamos at the same venue,” he said.

Due to their central position Gweru referees can handle matches both in Bulawayo and Harare unlike some of their counterparts who might be located in one corner of the country.

Ndebele further explained that inasmuch as they try to avoid a referee who is from the same town with the home team, sometimes it was not possible to do so.

“With the number of teams in Bulawayo, it’s not possible for us to have all referees having to come from Hwange or Gweru to handle matches for teams in that city,” said Ndebele. “So, Bulawayo referees end up officiating some of the games in the town.”

Ndebele said for the past six years PSL matches were being handled well with less complaints.

“We tried our best. Everyone was happy and up to the last match of the season things were okay. So I don’t see any reason why anyone would want to spoil that now,” said Ndebele.

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