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Raymond Jaravaza
APPLICATION of the law seems to favour some coaches while punishing others if the recent hauling of Joey Antipas of Chicken Inn and Caps United’s Lloyd Chitembwe for disciplinary hearings by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for bringing the game into disrepute after making post-match comments that didn’t sit well with the league.
B-Metro Sport took time and analysed comments made by four coaches this past weekend. All the comments were directed at referees, for the way they handled four PSL matches played in Bulawayo, Zvishavane, Harare and Mutare.
Below is what the four coaches said and we will leave it to our readers to decide why only Chitembwe and Antipas were hauled on hot coals while Genesis Mangombe of Dynamos and Bikita Minerals’ Saul Chaminuka were left off the hooks, at least for now.
Chitembwe had this to say about the referees that handled his team’s match against FC Platinum that was abandoned after fans stormed the pitch at Mandava Stadium.
“The problem in our football has been such that the wrong man takes the centre,” he said. “It is unfortunate it has reduced this league to a comic show. It’s something that needs to be eradicated from our football if we are to be a serious football nation. This is disheartening that a referee takes centre stage and it has been happening week in, week out. This has taken away from the boy what could have been a goal of the season contender.”
Chicken Inn’s Antipas had no kind words for the match officials as well, after his side fell one nil to Manica Diamonds in Mutare.
“This is disappointing. It was poor officiating from kick-off, we were in trouble. They were just blowing against us. The goal they scored went out, but it was waved play on. The PSL is becoming comic because of poor officiating,” Antipas said.
In Bulawayo, Bikita Minerals coach Chaminuka lost his cool and lashed out at referees when his team lost 1-2 to Arenel Movers at Luveve Stadium.
“I think players should be left to play the games and decisions are made on the field of play. We scored a very good goal, but I don’t know why someone decides against it. It is such decisions that end up deciding games and I’m not happy, I don’t want to lie. Sanctions or not, I don’t care, we can’t have this kind of football. That goal, was the turning point of this game. It’s difficult to talk about team performance because, like I said, they (referees) decided. We had our mistakes and we also had the game on our side and that’s football, but I think games must be decided on the pitch by players, not otherwise. We must compete, we are into this to compete. We spend a lot of time working on these guys and when they do right, they are supposed to be credited for doing right,” said Chaminuka.
In the capital city, referees also got Dynamos coach Mangombe angry, after his team drew nil all against bogey side Bulawayo Chiefs.
“To me it’s not frustrating, especially with the way we played and the way we presented ourselves.
But some of the decisions made by the match officials are now causing us to lose maximum points and this is the second game it has happened. In my opinion, I thought it was a clear goal. I didn’t see any infringement; we didn’t see any sense of offside. The referee pointed at the centre, meaning it was a goal. Then later on after the guys were celebrating, he decided to raise the flag up. Some of these decisions are now critical and are causing problems for us,” said Mangombe.
Online Reporter