adminNgqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
ZIFA Bulawayo Province junior team Mpumelelo lost six points under controversial circumstances after referees chose to boycott their matches in protest after being verbally abused by an official from the club.The club feels the points lost might have cost them the league title in the age groups affected.
Former Zimbabwe Saints player Lloyd Munhanga one of the club directors, allegedly verbally abused a match official over payment of fees after accusing the official of coming late for the game.
“Zifa failed to correctly discipline the team through its disciplinary committee but let the referees take matters into their own hands, a move that has denied our players a championship.
“The team worked very hard to be at the top of the table and the two games that we are being denied have robbed us of six points which were crucial to us winning the championship,” said Morris Mukwiti, the secretary general of the club.
Munhanga could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Mpumelelo led the table for the better part of the first half of the season in the Under -18s, 16s and 14s.
They eventually fell behind Bantu Rovers and Highlanders as a result of the six points they lost due to the protest by referees.
Provincial chairman Washington Sithole acknowledged that his office was once seized with the Mpumelelo debacle after receiving complaints from the referees association about the abusive behaviour towards them by some Mpumelelo officials.
“After getting complaints from the referees we asked Mpumelelo to issue an apololgy which they did send to us but the referees refused to accept the club’s apology demanding that the apology should come from Munhanga himself,” said Sithole.
Sithole denied that his office promised to reschedule Mpumelelo’s fixtures.
Online Reporter