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Nomore Musundire

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Castle Lager Referee of the Year Nomore Musundire will get a test of ability in Africa after he was given his first centre referee assignment in the Champions League by CAF to handle the match between Zambian champions Zanaco and APR of Rwanda.

Musundire, who was voted top referee in Zimbabwe in 2015, will be assisted by Thomas Kusosa, Brighton Nyika with Norman Matemera as fourth assistant in the preliminary round tie in Lusaka next Saturday.

ZIFA Referees Committee vice-chairman Gladmore Muzambi yesterday said Musundire and six other match officials, who have been given CAF assignments in the preliminary rounds of the 2017 Champions League and Confederation Cup tournaments, should strive to lift the nation’s flag high.

Another top Zimbabwean referee Philani Ncube is expected to handle the Confederation Cup tie between Supersport and Elgeco Plus Alfa of Madagascar on February 17 in South Africa and will be accompanied by Edgar Rumeki and Luckson Mhara as assistants.

“As the ZIFA Referees Committee we are always happy when our referees are recognised to handle such competitive matches on the continent. It is our wish that they raise the nation’s flag high.

“We appreciate this acknowledgement and we wish that the other referees in the lower ranks would learn something from these guys,” said Muzambi.

The former FIFA referee picked out Musundire, whose stock has been rising in the last few years, and urged him to take the opportunity to prove himself on the big stage.

Musundire was the man at the centre at the COSAFA Under-20 Championships final between hosts South Africa and champions Zambia late last year.

He is one of the only three Zimbabwean referees on the FIFA panel with the others being Matemera and Ncube.

“This is Musundire’s second year on the FIFA panel and this will be his first time on the middle for the CAF games. He spent most of his appointments last year as fourth official.

“But this time he has been given the job to be centre referee. I believe it’s a test on his pedigree but we have no doubt he can handle that one well,” said Muzambi.

Zimbabwe did not have a referee at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

“What happened is that we lost five years of refereeing development. I don’t want to sound like I’m blaming those who were before us but that is exactly what happened.

“We didn’t develop our referees to the expected standards, hence we are losing out. We don’t have a referee on the CAF

Elite A category so that means they cannot go to the AFCON.

“The nearest we have is one referee on Elite B and that is Norman Matemera. With that he could be eligible for such tournaments as the CHAN.

“So we need to develop our referees so that we can be recognised. The people at CAF look at the performance of your referees and the development courses that you are undertaking and then they arrange courses for you.

“If you are not doing anything it is easy to be ignored,” said Muzambi.