HOW MINE coach Kelvin Kaindu yesterday said, for the first time in his career, he beckoned his players to leave the field of play after Highlanders were awarded a controversial penalty on the stroke of full time in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium.
HIGHLANDERS . . . (0) 1 HOW MINE . . . . . . . . . . 0
BY FORTUNE MBELE
The Zambian was not happy with referee Pilani Ncube’s decision to award the Bulawayo giants a penalty after second assistant referee Faith Mloyi adjudged striker Ralph Matema had been fouled inside the penalty box in the 90th minute by How Mine defender Frank Makarati.
Makarati was shown the red card for a second bookable offence after the incident.
Simon Munawa converted from the spot after a few minutes of protests by How Mine before the club management’s intervention. But after the match, Kaindu said he was prepared to face censure from the football authorities, lambasting the match officials for failing to handle the match professionally.
“For the first time in my coaching career, I told my players to walk out. I cannot deny that. I told them to walk out and said this is not football.
It’s the intervention of management who said let us play. But for the first time, I was ready to abandon the game.
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It’s not the first time that we have conceded a penalty. I think football in Zimbabwe has got a lot of work to be done, that is why in the league we had four games abandoned and this one was going to be the fifth one,” Kaindu said.
“If the PSL wants to punish me, I was ready to call the team off the field. I am disappointed if our top-class referees can officiate like this.
I don’t normally talk about referees, but what I saw today is not good for our top-class referees. You are working with players who are stressed and you come into the field of play and the referees stress you. It becomes very difficult.”
Even Highlanders gaffer Erol Akbay was taken aback, but was happy with the three points after his boys missed a number of chances especially in the second half.
“What I can only say is I am very happy with the three points, but it was a very cheap penalty from what I saw from where I was,” he said.
“The second assistant referee said it was a penalty. I can understand How Mine’s frustration. You can never be happy conceding a penalty in the last seconds. We had lots of opportunities in the second half, but we missed the chances.”
Highlanders moved to sixth spot with 46 points after the win with How Mine also on 46 points, going down to position seven.
TEAMS HIGHLANDERS: A Sibanda, B Ncube, C Siamalonga, B Phiri, P Muduhwa, A Gahadzikwa, R Lunga (K Nadolo 36’), S Munawa, R Matema, R Kutsanzira, G Nyoni (B Banda 78’) HOW MINE: M Diya, M Mukumba, T Ranthokoane (N Ndale 63’), K Chideu, F Makarati, M Sakala, A Muganyi, P Moyo (N Ndlovu 72’), T Makanda, T Masuku, T Chanengeta (T January 30’)
