Online Reporter
YET another Castle Lager Premiership game was abandoned yesterday when Dynamos players protested the decision by the referee to award FC Platinum a penalty at Mandava.
The game was tied 1-1 at that time.
The Glamour Boys scored first but Norman Mapeza’s men rallied back to tie the score and deep in the second half they were awarded a penalty when the referee penalised Emmanuel Jalai in a tussle for possession.
The DeMbare players, having led at the interval and coming from a morale-boosting win over Yadah, were not happy with the decision and decided they would not continue with the game.
Well, that is sad not only for the PSL but the whole football fraternity in this country.
After all, the game is still battling to recover from the decision by Chicken Inn to force the abandonment of their game against Scottland who were awarded a last-gasp penalty at Rufaro.
The Gamecocks have since been dragged to a PSL disciplinary hearing where they are likely to be fined and will lose the match on a 0-3 scoreline.
Ironically, young referee Quedisano Dirwai was in charge of both matches and was the one who made the two calls. We have seen a lot of debate on social media that he is the common denominator to the chaos but the question we should be asking ourselves is a simple one – did he make the right calls on both occasions?
We saw the Chicken Inn incident and there was a clear block from the defender using his arm and if there was a question to the decision then it was about the distance between the striker and the defender.
But, it was clear that the referee did not manufacture a ghost penalty and he was brave and right to give it.
Yesterday, there was a tussle between two players and one of them ended up going down and the referee felt it was a penalty.
Watching the video replays, it’s a decision that could have been given or not given but it can’t be described as an outrageous one that can force the abandonment of a game.
We have seen far worse decisions, including many which have gone Dynamos’ way over the years, but matches were eventually played right up to the end because that is the way football should always be about.
It is not a game where players take matters into their hands and transform themselves into referees who should determine what is a foul and what is not and what is a penalty and what is not.
We can’t allow a culture where every aggrieved team walks off the pitch or forces the abandonment of a game because by doing so we will make the game ungovernable. Sponsors will walk away and it will collapse.
Dynamos officials should know that and they should lead by example because they are a big brand.
They know they will lose this game 0-3 in the boardroom, the goal they scored will be erased and they will fall into second-from-the-bottom of the table.
Bongani Ndlovu