Moffat Mungazi
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE most daunting challenge of being a referee, particularly in leagues where technology like the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is not yet available, is making a split-second decision that can have lifelong repercussions.
Last Saturday, following Brighton Chimene’s final whistle in the match between Manica Diamonds and CAPS United at Sakubva Stadium, Kudakwashe Marange, the second assistant referee, faced the harsh reality of local football officiating.
He was heckled, pushed, and shoved, requiring police protection to escort him off the field to the changing rooms.
The controversy stemmed from an incident where Marange correctly raised his flag for an offside call — denying Manica Diamonds a goal that their fans believed was legitimate.
Lawrence Masibera’s close-range header was disallowed after he received the ball while in a clear offside position.
Manica Diamonds went on to 0-1 to Caps United. However, some Manica Diamonds supporters vehemently disputed the call.
Unfortunately, the mistreatment of match officials has become a disturbing norm in the country, particularly in lower division leagues, where security is often inadequate.
The armchair experts are a formidable force in local football. With fans convinced of their own refereeing prowess and coaching acumen, match officials and team tacticians often face a barrage of criticism and second-guessing.
Their judgments are frequently clouded by emotions and club loyalty, rather than a genuine understanding of match officiating rules and regulations.
This know-it-all mentality can make the already demanding roles of referee and coach even more daunting. But in this instance, the question remains — was Marange incorrect in his offside call?
Generally, in football, the offside rule states that a player is in an offside position if, when the ball is played, they are in the opponent’s half of the field and closer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent.
However, being in an offside position is not an offence in itself — an offside offence only occurs if the player becomes involved in active play.
There are exceptions to the offside rule, such as receiving the ball from a throw-in, corner kick, or goal kick, or when the defensive team has possession of the ball.
A thorough examination of the incident involving Marange reveals a disturbing truth — match officials are often criticised for making correct calls.
This phenomenon was corroborated by a fellow match official, who spoke anonymously due to protocol restrictions.
“We have faced this countless times. You are blamed for doing the right thing. In some cases, like with Marange last Saturday, people expect you to turn a blind eye simply because you are based in the same city as the home team. That is not professionalism — that is unacceptable,” lamented the official.
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