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Curtworth Masango
Army side Black Rhinos vice chairman Edward Mutukwa has expressed his disappointment in how matches are being handled as the battle to survive relegation thickens.
Mutukwa expressed his sentiments after their 1-0 win over Yadah at Bata on Wednesday.
Chauya Chipembere finished the match with nine men after Tatenda Mchisa and Kudakwashe Mukucha were given their marching orders.
Mchisa received a straight red card early in the first half and Mukucha in the second half.
Rhinos are taking their survival battle who have been ruled out by many have put up a fight to keep themselves in the matrix of survival. Rhinos have now amassed 32 points which will see them standing a chance to survive if they manage to win their remaining games.
Mutukwa said they are not happy with the way centre referee Lawrence Zimhondi handled the match.
“We are not happy with the way the referee officiated our match. It was clear he was biased against us.
“I don’t see how we can help develop our football if we keep on going like this. From the early stages of the game, one of our players was issued a straight red card from an unjustified off-ball incident.
“We had players being given yellow cards and wondered why it was only us. The referee was dubious and was always on our neck. We played the match with nine men despite managing to come up with a positive result.
“One wonders if it is this type of refereeing we are allowing us to have. Zimhondi is the same person, who forced Mapeza to say that he will quit football and I would say a review of a number of his matches are dubious.
“We all see it week in and week out. We understand that referees just like every-one make mistakes but there should be a level of leniency not that it becomes an obvious case. All of us deserve better than that.
“We are going to approach all responsible authorities and appeal one of the red cards. You wonder what will happen with these referees. Just because we are going to the final matches and you start to hear a lot of penalties being issued and a lot of red cards. Why didn’t this happen all in the past?
“There is a lot that is happening with our football. Some teams are being plotted to be relegated at the expense of others. Why can’t we allow the game to be played in the field of play? If we don’t sort this out collectively football won’t develop.
“Lastly as a club, we will also approach the Normalisation Committee as we want them to come and give a solution to this. Even if you look at the way clubs like Whawha and Bulawayo City got relegated was dubious, that should come to an end. We must be professional,” he said.
Online Reporter