daniel chigunwe
Sports Reporter
BRIGHTON Chimene was savaged on social media with false claims that he has been struck from the FIFA panel of referees over the penalty he awarded to Scottland in their final Division One match against Black Mambas at Rufaro earlier this month.
Chimene is the country’s number one referee.
The faceless online characters savaged Chimene with brutal attacks, including wild claims that he had been struck off the FIFA panel of match officials.
Scottland won that final game 3-1 to be crowned champions of the ZIFA Northern Region Division One soccer league.
However, Karoi United’s appeal against the decision by the NRSL disciplinary committee to award Scottland three points from their abandoned match, means that the championship will be determined in the boardroom.
Chimene was assigned to handle the Scottland/Mambas match to ensure that the game would be handled in the best manner possible with the winner determined by the quality of their play and not any underhand issues.
He was savaged for giving Scottland a penalty, which was converted by Ronald Pfumbidzai.
There were even some false claims that Chimene was sanctioned by FIFA and would not handle any international assignments.
However, this has all been proved to be false and the referee will take charge of today’s 2025 AFCON qualifier between Tanzania and Guinea in Dar es Salaam.
His counterparts – Luckson Mhara and Tafadzwa Nkala – will be the assistant referees while Thabani Ruzariro will be the fourth official.
Chimene is one of the 13 referees who will be in charge of the final AFCON qualifiers across the entire continent today.
Tanzania, who are in third place in Group H, need a win in their final match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium today.
Guinea will qualify if they force a draw.
The West Africans have the group’s top scorer, Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund, who has scored five goals in these qualifiers.
Chimene also appears on course to be part of the match officials to handle the AFCON finals in Morocco next year.
He is the only Zimbabwean referee who has been invited for the CHAN preparations course as a VAR official.
The course will be held in Cairo, Egypt, and 77 referees will take part.
Online Reporter