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Lovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe Soccer Referees Association has threatened to withdraw its members from Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches if they face challenges when entering stadia.
This was said by Zifa vice-president, Omega Sibanda who is in charge of the referees’ body and his deputy Bryton Malandule yesterday.
The two administrators said members of their constituency had a torrid time in trying to enter Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday in a match featuring Highlanders and Caps United.
It appears the problem emanated from the PSL and clubs’ new measures to curb leakages of money at the turnstiles. This affected mainly privilege card holders using Gate Three at Barbourfields Stadium where cards belonging to organisations like Zifa and the Zimbabwe Media Commission were accepted until recently.
On Sunday, Nkosana Nduna and his assistants were seconds from being recalled by their bosses before the epic tie. This would have left the match without referees something that would have probably angered the over 10,000 fans who had paid to watch the match.
“Our complaint is official. We need to be respected as referees. If there are new cards such information should be through proper channels, as Zifa vice-president I report to Cuthbert Dube and nobody else. For PSL employees to take over matches from clubs it was wrong.
“I was humiliated this weekend by being made to stand outside the stadium for a long time. I was not the only one, I hear even some club administrators were locked out. Imagine someone like Luke Mnkandla, the Highlanders board member coming into the stadium 45 minutes later.
“At one stage a PSL employee came and said he did not know me and left in a huff without attending to me. Also the PSL stewards manning the gates did not have good public relations or know soccer personalities, they were just a law unto themselves,” said Sibanda.
Highlanders chairman Peter Dube spent over 30 minutes before he could be allowed in.
Dube, also the PSL vice-president criticised the league for usurping responsibilities of clubs at the match.
He said; “So if there was to be violence, would it be PSL or the club liable? People in soccer must unite, we must not fight each other. We as Zifa will stamp out people who divide others in soccer, we take great exception to that.”
Malandule said the PSL should approach their office and advise on new requirements.
“We have no problem with our referees submitting their photographs for new accreditation. All along it has been Zifa cards used at stadia. If there are changes PSL know who we are and where to find us. This could be done through the Zifa referees’ desk,” said Malandule.
The former Zifa panel referee who also sits in the Southern Region board, said they almost recalled their referees just before the Bosso and Makepekepe game to drive the point home.
“We need a situation where PSL communicates with us. I called my chairman (Sibanda). It was not a threat, in future we will withdraw our members,” said Malandule.
He acknowledged that the match officials on duty had no problems with gaining entry.
“It does not need to be those on duty on that day only, but so many of us. I go to a match to look at how referees are performing so that if there are complaints I stand guided by what transpired and what I saw.
“It’s an opportunity for other referees to learn from others’ good performances or mistakes,” said Malandule.
There are over 600 referees in Zimbabwe.
On Sunday the VIP tribune at Barbourfields was virtually empty with few people having been allowed.
Dube said every new order will always have its challenges.
“Hopefully all the teething problems associated with the new controls will soon be over. When you are starting new controls there is bound to be problems indeed but what I noted was that there were fewer people in the VIP tribune than in previous matches meaning that to some extent we are moving forward,” said Dube.
He said as a club boss they were concerned about the number of people carrying cards who otherwise should be paying to watch matches.
All sorts of cards have in the past been flashed including some for security companies and company ones.
Dube said by having barriers before Gate Three, screening was done there to avoid people flooding the turnstile and blocking passage for those who should gain entry.
PSL chief executive officer, Kennedy Ndebele one of the best administrators of the game, whose efforts have been recognised by Caf, Fifa and local sponsors as shown by the many endorsements the league is enjoying, said this was an on-going exercise. He said his team would be in Zvishavane this weekend as it was an exercise in response to clubs and local authorities wanting to maximise revenue from matches.
On what transpired on Sunday at Barbourfields Stadium, he said the Zifa vice-president should not have had a problem.
“He (Sibanda) was listed among the people who should drive and park inside the stadium. As for Malandule we asked for the names of the 10 people he was with when he called and he refused.
“Another problem is when football is being run by people without the requisite five years in soccer administration, they do not understand some of these issues. One person they were raising an issue about is Zifa honorary member Cecilia Malunga who has submitted her photo for accreditation,” said Ndebele.
Ndebele said usually when a new administration comes into power it’s usually the Zifa chief executive officer who writes to affiliates giving names of executive members and those of sub committees.
“It is the Zifa chief executive officer who communicates with us as PSL. We have not yet received communication from Zifa on the list of councillors, national coaches and sub-committee members so that we accredit them,” said Ndebele.
Media houses have submitted their lists, Ndebele confirmed.
Another challenge Ndebele said local authorities were now demanding 20 percent of the estimated gross of the people who would have gone in for free. This he said was going to hit clubs hard on the pockets.
There have been calls for former players and administrators to contribute towards their clubs by paying at the turnstiles.
Online Reporter