adminthat they will not officiate in the last three games of the season in protest over Zifa’s decision to fly in foreign match officials for yesterday’s Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-final ties.
Zifa brought in referees from South Africa and Zambia to take charge of the Mbada Diamonds Cup matches following serious allegations of corruption against local referees.
South African referees handled the Dynamos against FC Platinum match at Barbourfields while their Zambian counterparts were in charge of the match pitting Motor Action and Zimbabwe Saints at Sakubva.
Most of the referees who spoke to Chronicle Sport on condition of anonymity said the move by Zifa was rushed and it’s an international embarrassment to them.
“How can we officiate when we are being belittled by our national association? Zifa should have investigated those allegations instead of making rushed decisions that cause problems,” said one of the referees.
Zimbabwe Soccer Referees Association secretary-general Batsirai Muchenje said his committee will today hold an emergency meeting to discuss the way forward.
Muchenje said his committee will go by whatever resolution will be taken be the general membership.
“As a committee we are really disappointed by what Zifa have done and I can not rule out a general strike by members over such an issue. They should have investigated those allegations first because now all the 68 referees have been painted with one brush,” said Muchenje.
He said it will be unfortunate for PSL if such a decision was taken because the idea of bringing in foreign referees came from Zifa not PSL.
Muchenje might have tried to separate Zifa and PSL over the decision but the league’s chairman Twine Phiri sits on the Zifa board that made the decision to hire foreign officials for the Mbada Cup.
Phiri later clarified that the foreign referees were only coming in for the Mbada Cup.
Muchenje claimed that “knee jerk decisions like what Zifa did are not good for football and can have ripple effects if not properly managed”.He said by bringing in foreign referees, the national association was agreeing that there was corruption in the system, even before investigating.”We are heading towards season end and clubs can use that as basis for promotion and demotion, arguing that whatever their position on the final day might have been influenced by a referee who was corrupt,” said Muchenje.
The Dynamos-FC Platinum match played at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday was handled by South Africans Victor Hlungwani (centre), assistants Sandile Dilikane and Leon Mnqibisi with Bulawayo based Mlindeli Ndebele being the fourth official.
Online Reporter