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Robson Sharuko
Senior Sports Editor
REMEMBER him, of course you should, the controversial referee we dubbed TP Mazembe’s ‘‘Mr Fix-It,’’ back in March 2017?
His name is Bernard Camille and he is from Seychelles.
Back then, we raised the alarm when he was appointed to handle the Congolese giants’ CAF Champions League showdown, against CAPS United, at the National Sports Stadium.
The Green Machine had held TP Mazembe 1-1 in Lubumbashi.
And, the outgoing CAF leadership, of Issa Hayatou, handed Camille with the responsibility to handle the reverse encounter.
The problem, for us, was that the referee was known to be embedded with TP Mazembe, their favourite match official, when they had their backs to the wall.
And, as a newspaper, we raised the alarm, at least for him, and his handlers, to know the world was watching them very closely. Having been unmasked, Camille gave a very fair performance and the game ended goalless, with the Green Machine, qualifying for the group stages, on the away goals rule.
Four years later, Camille returned, for another dance with our representatives, this time taking charge of the Warriors’ 2022 World Cup qualifier, against Ethiopia, yesterday.
The game was meandering towards a goalless draw until the referee pointed to the spot, after ruling defender Alec Mudimu had handled, in time added on.
“I am also going to encourage my players because they also felt cheated,’’ said under-fire Warriors coach, Zdravko Logarusic
‘‘After the game, I faced the referee and asked why we had played only one minute, yet they had indicated five then, after exchanging some words, he then disappeared.”
So, why is Camille very controversial?
Well, on May 5, 2013, he was the man at the centre of the controversy when TP Mazembe hosted Orlando Pirates, in that CAF Champions League eliminator, dubbed as a match-made-in-hell.
He awarded two controversial penalties to Mazembe in Lubumbashi, with the five-time African champions needing a two-goal winning margin to overturn a first leg 1-3 defeat.
But, the late Senzo Meyiwa, saved both spot-kicks.
The second penalty was given in the last move of a match, which spilled into 10 minutes of time added on as Mazembe, then leading 1-0, needed just another goal, to ensure qualification for the group stages.
Camille had sent off Pirates captain, Lucky Lekgwathi, in the first half and then went on to award the hosts two controversial penalties.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation were forced out of that match, so they could not capture what was happening, while those with mobile phones were detained.
Head of the Pirates delegation, Elvis Shishana, described it as “a terrifying experience,” and even claimed “our lives were at risk’’.
“It was very clear from the beginning that they had an agenda, hence they did not want anyone to record the match.’’
Roger de Sa, the then Pirates coach, said this was the strangest thing he had ever seen in football.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire career,’’ he told South Africa’s Sowetan newspaper.
“It makes me wonder how Mazembe got those four stars on their crest. I’m bitter and shocked that CAF turns a blind eye to these things.’’Meyiwa described it as a nightmare.
“The refereeing was poor and Lucky Lekgwathi did not deserve the red card. However, fighting spirit kept us in the game,” he said.
Despite all that controversy, CAF also appointed Camille to handle TP Mazembe’s home CAF Confederation Cup game against Medeama of Ghana, the same year, which the Congolese giants won 3-1, in Lubumbashi.
Online Reporter