adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
TWO of Manicaland-based clubs in the domestic top-flight league — Buffaloes and Dongo Sawmill — were on the receiving end of biased match officiating that bore resemblance to an overt anti- Manicaland conspiracy in the Castle Lager Premiership.
Both clubs are understood to have since sent letters to the Premier Soccer League secretariat registering their displeasure over the way they are being treated by match officials, especially when they are playing at home.
Buffaloes, for example, have ironically endured biased match officiating at the hands of referees, most of who are also based within Manicaland.
While some sections interviewed by this newspaper were quick to suspect that there is an overt anti Manicaland conspiracy among Castle Lager Premiership match officials, some were of the opinion that there is a belief among referees in Manicaland that they have to come down hard on home teams for them to be seen to be doing a sterling job.
Only two years ago, retired Mutare Zifa panel referee, Langton Chitsa hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons when he made desperate yet futile attempts to help Dynamos win their match against Buffaloes at Sakubva Stadium.
On Easter Monday, Mutare-based first assistant referee, Luckson Mhara, angered Buffaloes supporters at Sakubva Stadium when he pointed to the centre as he awarded a goal to the home side in agreement with Rusape-based centre referee, Brighton Chimene, but for reasons best known to Mhara, after a few seconds he dramatically rescinded the decision and adjudged scorer, Lloyd Katongomara to have been in an offside position.
The match, which was pitting the Mutare army side up against fading Bulawayo giants, Highlanders ended in a goalless stalemate.
In a post match interview, Buffaloes caretaker coach, Joseph Takaringofa, had every reason to feel hard done by Mhara’s irresoluteness.
“I think we are playing well as a team, although we are failing to get the goals we need.
“We seem not be taking the chances that we are creating. It is now four games without a win and I thought this was going to be our fist win, but the referees had other ideas.
“I do not want to talk much about referees because it will place my team up against referees, but it is also difficult to keep quiet when one sees so much injustice.
“I thought we scored a clear goal and they awarded it to us, only for the referees to change their decision in unclear circumstances,” said Takaringofa.
Just as Takaringofa was brooding over the misery of a missed opportunity to grab maximum points for the first time in his career as a top-flight league coach, folks in Rusape were also crying foul over the conduct of referees who handled their match against Triangle at Vengere Stadium.
Harare referee, Josiah Masimba, together with his assistants, Stellah Ruvinga and Alois Muzorori torched a storm when Dongo striker, Stephan Elias rose from the bench to head home an equaliser in Easter Monday’s league match against Triangle, but was adjudged offside.
However, a veteran referee instructor conducted for comment exonerated the match officials at Vengere, saying by the time Elias headed home the ball there was only one man in defence — a defender on the line, while the visitor’s goalkeeper was already down and well behind the striker who “scored” — hence the striker was clearly offside.
Be that as it may, Dongo Sawmill financier, Francis Dongo, had no kind words for the referees as he argued that there seems to be a plot among match officials to make their life difficult in the top-flight league.
“I do not think it was a fair call by the referees. We had clearly equalised, but somehow the referees denied us a genuine goal and even neutrals were equally shocked by the match officials’ offside call.
“We are experiencing these things week in week out.
“The referees are not just giving us a fair deal,” said Dongo.
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