Ngezi Platinum Stars have said they will appeal against Xolisani Moyo’s red card issued by referee Hardly Ndazi in their defeat to Bulawayo Chiefs at Luveve Stadium on Sunday.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Bulawayo Chiefs handed Ngezi their first defeat of the season and Moyo came as a substitute in the 73rd minute and only lasted nine minutes.
Coach Tonderai Ndiraya said he was also not happy with the caution to goalkeeper Donovan Bernard.
Clive Augusto was also sent off for a second bookable offence.
After the match, Ndiraya told journalists that they will appeal Ndazi’s decision to expel Moyo in what he said was a case of mistaken identity and hoped that the red card would be rescinded.
However, Premier Soccer League rules and regulations stipulate that the referee’s decision is final and cannot be contested.
“Rest assured that we are going to appeal against the red card. I thought it was unwarranted. It was a case of mistaken identity and I hope the authorities will take the issue up and have that red card rescinded. We have social media and games are being recorded. You see videos flying around. We are basing on that. We have people, supporters, who got that video. I saw the video and the evidence is there,” Ndiraya said.
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He said Moyo was not supposed to be censured by the referee, as he was not involved in the incident that led to his expulsion.
“Xolisani Moyo was not even close to what happened, but to my surprise he got a red card. I thought it was case of mistaken identity from the referee, so once that happens when the match official makes what I think are big mistakes in a big game like this, big in the sense we wanted to maintain our three point gap. Of course, he may be human, but you can’t make mistakes on three occasions,” Ndiraya said.
Order 30.1.2.5 of the PSL rules and regulations states that “the protest is not made against the referee’s and/or assistant referee’s decision connected with play, such decisions being final”.
The referee does not totally escape as order 21:18 states: “Any referee, who is constantly involved in making controversial decisions shall be reported to the Zifa referees committee for disciplinary measures to be taken.”
In September last year, Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa in his capacity as chairman of the Zifa referee’s committee, tried to nullify former Dynamos striker, Christian Ntouba Epoupa’s red cad when he head-butted Highlanders defender Peter Muduhwa, but the PSL stood their ground and rebuffed him.
Moyo, Augusto and goalkeeper Bernard will miss the next match against FC Platinum at Baobab. Bernard picked a third yellow card on Sunday.
