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Sports Reporter

FOR about a decade now, referee Munyaradzi Majoni has courted controversy on the domestic football scene but somehow he has survived to blow his whistle for another season. 

Even if local football takes a break for about two years, it appears some things just don’t change. 

And, just on cue, on the opening weekend of the new championship race, the veteran Midlands-based referee was back in the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons.

His performance in the match between Dynamos and Yadah FC at the National Sports Stadium was very poor. 

The referee, who should be mentoring the new crop of match officials coming through the ranks, was so poor it was hard to believe he has been in the trenches, officiating at the very top, for more than a decade. 

It’s understandable for a referee to make a mistake, after all, they are also human. 

The blockbuster 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, remains a prime example of a huge game which was decided by a wrong call from the match officials. 

When Diego Maradona flicked the ball with his hand, to tip it over England goalkeeper David Seaman, it was clear something wrong had happened. 

But, the Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser missed it, despite protests from the England players, and Maradona later claimed it was the “Hand of God’’ which had scored the goal. What becomes concerning is when the same referee, as appears to be the case with Majoni, finds himself at the centre of controversy every season. 

His decision not to send off Patson Jaure, for a lunge on Yadah FC defender Godfrey Mukambi was as surprising as his decision to ignore what appeared to be a handball, by the Dynamos captain, inside the box. 

DeMbare coach, Tonderai Ndiraya, said Mukambi should have been sent off earlier and, to a certain degree, he appears to have a case but that can’t be the excuse why Jaure remained on the pitch after his moment of madness. 

Maybe, that’s the way Majoni does his business and here we can just highlight a few of the occasions the referee has been found wanting, in the past decade:

October 2012

ZIFA Division One club Hardbody made sensational claimed referee Majoni was allegedly bribed by Tripple B before a league match between Chrome Stars and the Beitbridge side. However, Hardbody failed to provide evidence to back their claims and their case was dismissed.

May 2017

The Battle of Zimbabwe showdown between Highlanders and Dynamos was abandoned under a hail of missiles as the Bosso fans felt assistant referee Thomas Kusosa should have picked that Dynamos striker, Christian Epoupa was offside when he scored his team’s 40th minute equaliser. 

After a stoppage lasting more than an hour, referee Majoni called off the match with Bosso fan, Wicknell Chivayo, calling the DeMbare equaliser a “fake goal’’ and claiming the match officials were probably drunk.

August 2017

Majoni pointed to the spot to award Yadah FC an 87th minute penalty, in a Chibuku Super Cup match against Chicken Inn, at Ascot, leading to the Gamecocks storming off the pitch and the abandonment of the game. Chicken Inn were later thrown out of the tournament with their representative Sihlangu Dlodlo telling a PSL ad-hoc committee they were wrong and pleading for lenience while also apologising to the sponsors.

July 2019

Shabanie Mine coach, John Phiri, blamed referee Majoni for his team’s 1-2 defeat, in the Zvishavane Derby, at Mandava. Majoni disallowed Marvelous Dikinya’s effort, which appeared genuine, and would have given Shabanie a 2-0 first half lead. Instead, Shabanie finished with nine men, and FC Platinum took full advantage, to win the match. “The referee (Majoni) gave the match to FC Platinum, we played well but we were frustrated by the referee,’’ said Phiri.

August 2019

Dutch coach, Erol Akbay, blamed referee Majoni for Ngezi Platinum’s 0-1 defeat, in a league match, to Triangle United. Russell Madamombe scored the only goal from the penalty spot while the visitors finished the game with nine men.

“The referee has defeated us today, the football authorities must do something to such kind of officiating,’’ said Akbay. 

July 2019

Black Rhinos felt hard done by Majoni and his assistant Kusosa when they were denied what looked like a clear penalty, in the 99th minute, in their league game against Dynamos. With the score tied at 1-1, Rhinos winger Edgar Chigiji went down inside the box and Kusosa signalled a foul. Majoni went to the touchline to consult with Kusosa and signalled a free-kick for Rhinos, which was taken from outside the box.

November 2019

Majoni gave Dynamos a free-kick amid protests from the Bosso players that the ball had gone out of play at the time of the incident. From the resultant dead ball, the Glamour Boys found their equaliser in the 83rd minute. “All we want is a fair referee, for both teams,’’ said Bosso technical manager, Pieter de Jong.