SUNDAY’S Castle Lager Premier Soccer League big match between Dynamos and Highlanders produced all the thrills that were expected of a match that gives a barometer of Zimbabwe’s footballing standards.
The match ended 3-2 in favour of Dynamos and was televised on SuperSport 9. It was there for millions of fans across the world, and Zimbabwe, to watch and enjoy the best of local football. Highlanders claimed they were denied a genuine goal in the 78th minute after near assistant referee Bongani Gadzikwa claimed an offside.
Whatever reason that Gadzikwa gave for disallowing the goal can only be found in the referee’s report and it’s highly unlikely that the reason will be known as the Zimbabwe Referees Committee has always stood by and protected their officials, no matter how inept they may be.
In this age of technology where matches are screened live, referees can cheat at their own peril because the football fans will always be there to see for themselves via repeats and replays. Even Dynamos goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva berated his defenders for poor defending and was even shocked that there was an off-side, unless the reason was something else.
This is not to say that referees are not humans. They are, but what is certainly clear is that cheating does not improve Zimbabwean football at all. Neither should one team be favoured in any encounter at the expense of the other. It is important that at the end of the day, that football is the winner and fans must enjoy it. We believe that cheating will give a false barometer of the standards of the game and that is often reflected when our teams play in the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup and fail even to progress into the group stages.
It is important to state that real referees are those that officiate in the Africa Cup of Nations, the African Nations Championships or Council of Southern Africa Football Associations and will apply football rules without fear or favour. It is unfortunate and unpardonable that last month, Zimbabwe suffered a major embarrassment when referee Ruzive Ruzive was red-carded for poor officiating at the Cosafa Cup competition in South Africa.
Ruzive was regrettably substituted by Norman Matemera — the men, together with his assistant Bongani Gadzikwa, at the centre of the controversy that dogged the Dynamos and Highlanders match at Rufaro, in Harare.
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Since the good times of Brighton Mudzamiri, Thomas Khumalo, Felix Tangawarima, Thabani Mnkantjo and Gladmore Muzambi, Zimbabwe has suffered a serious dearth of match officials. Year-in, year out, there is a serious problem in match officiating.
It appears referees have ceased to be match officials, but team supporters bent on influencing outcomes of a match for 30 pieces of silver. Does it make sense that players put in effort for a match whose outcome has already been decided already? Regrettably, at some teams, even some players know that this referee is theirs.
Referees must stop corruption, and Zifa seem to be the major culprits. How does the Zifa Referees Committee appoint the same referee who caused mayhem between the two teams, two seasons ago? Is this not one of the main reasons for violence at match stadia? Violence is often blamed on fans when the real culprits could be the referees.
In 2011, Dynamos complained of poor match officiating. But Zifa — in its wisdom or lack of it — “imported” referees from South Africa to “protect the team”. And when teams, considered small in the PSL, raise issues of poor match officiating, Zifa zips it up. Football, with this type of match officiating, is not going anywhere. Zifa and such referees must be ashamed of their shenanigans. Those that bribe them, if there are any, must also be discomfited.
