Refs maintain 2014 match fees

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
PREMIER Soccer League clubs have received a temporary reprieve after referees maintained their 2014 season match fees, officials have confirmed. Both Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela and the Zimbabwe Referees Committee vice chairman, decorated referee, Wilfred Mukuna, confirmed the status quo although Mukuna said they are still deliberating on the issue.

With the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season having kicked off yesterday at Rufaro Stadium, there is little chance that the fees would be unilaterally increased.

From last year’s figures, the match commissioner and centre referee will each get $180 while the two assistants and fourth official each go home with $160 each.

Calculated for the whole season (15 home games per team), each team will have to budget for at least $12,600 in referees fees for league matches in the event that they stick to the 2014 season schedule.

“We are yet to finalise on the match fees as we still have to get feed back from all the leagues,” said Mukuna yesterday.

Association spokesperson Gwesela concurred with Mukuna.

“The referees fees have not been increased but I will not divulge how much they were last season.”

The fees remain the same for the first round cup matches but increase with each stage of the tournament after that. For the quarter-finals, the match commissioner and the centre referee will each get $250, two assistants and the fourth official $230 each.In the semifinals, the commissioner and the referee are entitled to $500, the two assistants and fourth official $450 each while all the five match officials will get $750 each in a final match.

Meanwhile, Mukuna has warned lazy referees who delay in submitting their match reports to officials of serious sanctions. “We deal with referees and commissioners who do not respect the laid down time frame for submission of match reports. We have internal disciplinary machinery to deal with errant officials,” he said.

According to Mukuna, a match report has to be submitted within 48 hours.