×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Chiyangwa reads riot act

Sport
ZIFA president Phillip Chiyangwa (pictured) has warned referees against bias and corruption, saying that those caught offside will be axed from the roster.

ZIFA president Phillip Chiyangwa (pictured) has warned referees against bias and corruption, saying that those caught offside will be axed from the roster.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

chiyangwa

Chiyangwa addressed the match officials for the first time yesterday since he assumed leadership of the referees committee last week.

The Harare businessman heads the committee that also includes vice-chairman Gladmore Muzambi, Thabani Mkanjo, Kainos Mavhuna, Japhet Mufiri and Musa Ntonga. He said the committee would closely monitor referees, particularly on corruption, and demanded the highest standards of match officiating.

The 2016 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season has so far seen referees claiming more than a fair share of the limelight with complaints of biased officiating coming from clubs all too often.

Chiyangwa said he decided to chair the committee following numerous complaints over the way referees were handling football matches. He said he could have asked Muzambi, also a previous Zifa board member for finance, to chair the committee, but had not known much about him until recently.

“Muzambi is a very experienced referee and a senior internal auditor in government,” Chiyangwa told reporters yesterday. “He came tops in our vetting process after his name was proffered by many people. I didn’t know him personally until recently. I could have asked him to chair this committee if I had known him before. But I now chair the committee with Muzambi as my deputy. He is responsible for deployment of the referees.”

He warned referees that if they found themselves involved in corruption, the long arm of the law would catch up with them.

The Harare businessman, who also condemned violence at football matches, said referees were an important component in football development.

“So you as referees, you are the major managers of people’s peace and stability. You should be responsible when taking care of business. If you come to stadiums with pre-conceived ideas, then you will be in trouble.

“You will not officiate again, let alone enter the stadium. You will only watch football from your television sets. Referees are not assemblers of violence. Because you have this responsibility of managing peace and stability, you should execute your duties professionally and without bias.”

Chiyangwa said he had learned of corrupt activities among officials which he wants to stem out.

“I have heard that money is changing hands prior to games, but I am saying never ever get yourself caught up in this sort of thing. Fifa has asked us to set up a security section that will be responsible for the performance of the referees and they are even paying for it.”

He said he wants to see more local referees getting international assignments.

“I deploy you every week and I don’t want to have my decisions queried because of your poor officiating. Remember you are governed by the Confederation of African Football and if you prove you are good, they will recommend you to take charge of continental and international matches.”

There has been a number of complaints in the Premiership and in the lower divisions over biased officiating.

But with the appointment of the referees committee, one of the key sub-committees in the management of the game, expectations are high that there will be improvement in the way referees perform.

Chicken Inn are one of the clubs that lodged complaints about referees this season, particularly Thomas Masaa, who officiated in their match against FC Platinum in Bulawayo where they lost 1-0.

Zifa also appointed a technical development committee, among other sub-committees that will work with former Harare City coach Taurai Mangwiro in spearheading the development policy of the association.

Chiyangwa also named former Warriors coaches Sunday Chidzambwa and Rahman Gumbo as some of the members of the high performance committee.