adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
TRIANGLE United goalkeepers’ coach Gift Muzadzi has condemned his goalkeeper Brighton Chipula for unsporting conduct that led to his sending off in yesterday’s high stakes league meeting with Highlanders at Barbourfields. The match ended 1-0 in favour of Highlanders and the result propelled the Bulawayo giants to the top of the table ahead of Dynamos and Harare City – who both drew – with just two matches still to be played.
The former Dynamos and national team shot-stopper, who was clearly the voice of reason on the Triangle bench during the late drama following the sending off of Triangle captain Limited Chikafa, said he was disappointed by Chipula’s behaviour.
Chipula saw red 16 minutes before the end for time wasting after dropping to the ground without being challenged.
“As a coach, I don’t teach such behaviour,” a disappointed Muzadzi told Chronicle.
“These youngsters must be professional and what he did there was really not the way to go. It can also incite fans but I also cannot coach him while he is on the pitch. I understand he told the referee that he had pulled his muscle but the referee thought otherwise and it’s so unfortunate that the scene turned this ugly.”
Referee Bekezela Makeka from Hwange, who never put a foot wrong, flashed a red card after giving Chipula a second yellow for time wasting by feigning injury.
The sending off came moments after Triangle skipper Chikafa also picked up a second yellow for time-wasting – just as his number was being raised on the touch-line to make way for Richard Kawondera.
Muzadzi cut a lonely figure in trying to calm down the players and his coach Gishon Ntini, who at one point withdrew the players from the pitch, before he was also sent to the stands for abusing the fourth official, Tambudzai Tawengwa.
When the police were found wanting as the Triangle players and the whole bench besieged Tawengwa, Muzadzi made a one-man shield to protect her.
Meanwhile, the match officials have explained that the 16 minutes added time came from the first six minutes of stoppage after Chikafa was red-carded.
Five more minutes were lost after the goalkeeper’s expulsion bringing to 11 minutes wasted during the chaos.
The referee added five minutes of optional time which, according to Law Seven of the Fifa Laws of the Game, he is entitled to add for time lost through “substitutions, assessment of injury to players, removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment, wasting time and any other cause.”
Online Reporter