Online Reporter
Petros Kausiyo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
AMID the wave of condemnation and the battering they have been receiving on the domestic front, Zimbabwe’s referees have received just the kind of backing they need to regain their confidence, with world soccer governing body FIFA throwing their weight behind the match officials.
In a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League 2025 season that has seen the fruits of investing into teams being blighted by a torrent of attacks on the match officials, the echoes coming from the FIFA corridors and backed by living testimonies, should surely come as a relief for both ZIFA and their panel of referees.
This is because even those clubs who have been enduring an underwhelming season, have seemingly sought sanctuary in blaming the match officials in matches where they would have done little to grind a result.
However, FIFA yesterday threw their weight behind the match officials, especially those who are on the global body’s panel and have been receiving some international appointments.
FIFA instructor and COSAFA referees’ manager Felix Tangawarima said Zimbabwe needed to take some pride in the manner that local match officials have acquitted themselves.
Tangawarima is back in the country to conduct an elite FIFA MA Referees course in Harare where 30 men and women are in attendance.
The legendary, record eight-time Zimbabwe Referee of the Year will also hold another training work-shop for the country’s match assessors next week.
But it is the referees who have been under siege for much of this season, who have received the crucial vote of thanks from the ultimate body that certifies their competence.
“As far as we are concerned the referees are doing well and it is evidenced by the fact that they are constantly being appointed for various international assignments,” Tangawarima said.
“While VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is not yet in Zimbabwe we have Zimbabweans, who are now experts in handling VAR. There are referees like Thanks Nyahuye, Brighton Chimene, Claris Simango, Grace Gimo and Mercy Mayimbo who are VAR experts now.
“Claris, Grace and Mercy are at the COSAFA (CAF Women’s Champions League qualifier) because they are competent in VAR.
“Chimene handled the CAF Under-17 assignments where he was the referee who took the most games (five) in the tournament.
“After that he went to COSAFA and handled the final,’’ added Tangawarima.
Chimene, who has been a shining beacon of his generation of referees once again flew the Zimbabwean flag when he handled an explosive African Nations Championship Group D encounter between West Africa giants Senegal and Sudan at Zanzibar’s Amani Stadium which ended 0-0 last night.
At 35, Chimene also has age on his side and looks destined to touch the stars in his refereeing career.
Tangawarima said while he could not offer much individual assessment on all the local referees, he insisted that they are not as bad as they were being portrayed.
“If they were so bad we would not be handing them any international appointments.
“I cannot talk about their local games because I have not had an opportunity to assess them save from the reports that we get.
“But what I can authoritatively say is that each time they are appointed for international games, they are doing very well.
“Owen Mandenda did well at the Region 5 Games in Namibia and handled the final, Lynette Moyo also did well at the same game and handled the women’s third-place play-off.
“So, if they are bad, we would not be accepting bad referees.
“When they are officiating, we do not look at their names, we look at them as Zimbabwean referees, as COSAFA referees, as CAF and FIFA referees’’.
Tangawarima also hailed ZIFA for identifying a young crop of match officials, who are attending the on-going course.
“They are a disciplined group, they are focussed and they know what they want. ZIFA have managed to bring in young which is commendable and they can do at least two AFCON tournaments and a World Cup.
“We also have fit and good senior referees and what they just need is continuous support. Of course, referees are human and they also make mistakes.’’
Tangawarima also urged the game’s stakeholders including the players, coaches, administrators and the media to acquaint themselves with the laws of the game.
“It is important to note that the game is evolving every time and the laws are changing and yet teams might still be behind on those changes.
“The way we evaluate offences has also changed. “So, if we can have a platform where everyone is updated on the changes and also understand the changes . . . what is punishable and what is not.
“For instance, there is a handball which is an offence, a handball which warrants a red card and one which does not warrant a card.
“It is important for people to appreciate that a referee has to make certain decisions. It is not like coaches don’t know football laws but we need everybody to be on the same wavelength especially in view of the ever-changing laws,’’ Tangawarima said. During the week-long course, the match officials have also been undergoing the rigours of physical training from FIFA Physical Instructor Nasreddine Cherifi of Algeria.
The referees are also using the five-day course to fine-tune handling such contentious areas like the Penalty Area Incidents Considerations, Offside Presentations and Considerations, Handball, Tactical Fouls Considerations, Positioning and Reading and Physical Preparation for competition.
