News / National
Norman Matemera fail fitness test
30 Sep 2021 at 07:14hrs | Views
TOP referees Norman Matemera and Stella Ruvinga will not be part of the officials handling the Chibuku Super Cup, after they failed a fitness test.
The duo, who are part of the FIFA Elite Referees, were among the 80 referees who underwent fitness assessments in Harare at the weekend.
Seven other referees on the ZIFA Elite Panel, who included Artwell Mazire, Yasin Yasin, Joel Magweva, Anthony Siyavundah, Zibusiso Nkomo, Lorraine Mondoka, Neria Tembo, also did not make it.
ZIFA Referees' Committee chairperson Bryton Malandule told The Herald the nine referees will not be involved in the Chibuku Super Cup games.
They will also be excluded from international assignments.
"We had our fitness tests over the weekend. The test was the mandatory test required by FIFA, before submitting our list of international Referees for 2022, as well as part of the preparation, of the resumption of football,'' Malandule said.
"Despite the fact that we were on national lockdown, training by referees never stopped.
"We have provincial fitness coaches who work with our referees, under the guidance of our national fitness instructor, Mr Makonese Masakadza.
"The latter, and his team of physical instructors including Morris Banda, a FIFA-trained fitness coach, helped us conduct the test of our Elite Referees, including those on the FIFA panel, and those on the ZIFA Elite panel.
"Eighty officials participated and, generally, the performance was good.''
However, others failed the test.
"Those on the FIFA panel, who did not make it, are Norman Matemera and Stella Ruvinga.
"Thanks Nyahuye did not participate, as she is sidelined by injury, which saw her pulling out of the COSAFA tournament.
"On the ZIFA panel, the following did not make it — Artwell Mazire, Yasin Yasin, Joel Magweva, Anthony Siyavundah, Zibusiso Nkomo, Lorraine Mondoka, Neria Tembo."
Although most of the Zimbabwean referees have been inactive, for the past two years, the ZIFA Referees boss said they will not compromise on fitness.
The referees who failed the assessment, at the weekend, will be given another opportunity after six weeks, in accordance with the FIFA guidelines.
"The reason why they did not make it was because they were not fit.
"Of course, there was no football taking place but the referees were given weekly training programmes to follow.
"We have had referees instructors, in various provinces, monitoring if they had been following the programmes, on a weekly basis.
"So, when someone comes for fitness assessment, and they fail to complete three laps, it means they may not have been following the programmes correctly, or were not following at all.
"But as the ZIFA Referees' Committee, we don't want unfit match officials because some of the mistakes that we experience in football are because the referee probably lacked fitness.
"So, we will not compromise on that issue, fitness is not negotiable in the modern game.
"These guys will not be part of the Chibuku Super Cup games and will have to wait for the next assessment after six weeks."
The duo, who are part of the FIFA Elite Referees, were among the 80 referees who underwent fitness assessments in Harare at the weekend.
Seven other referees on the ZIFA Elite Panel, who included Artwell Mazire, Yasin Yasin, Joel Magweva, Anthony Siyavundah, Zibusiso Nkomo, Lorraine Mondoka, Neria Tembo, also did not make it.
ZIFA Referees' Committee chairperson Bryton Malandule told The Herald the nine referees will not be involved in the Chibuku Super Cup games.
They will also be excluded from international assignments.
"We had our fitness tests over the weekend. The test was the mandatory test required by FIFA, before submitting our list of international Referees for 2022, as well as part of the preparation, of the resumption of football,'' Malandule said.
"Despite the fact that we were on national lockdown, training by referees never stopped.
"We have provincial fitness coaches who work with our referees, under the guidance of our national fitness instructor, Mr Makonese Masakadza.
"The latter, and his team of physical instructors including Morris Banda, a FIFA-trained fitness coach, helped us conduct the test of our Elite Referees, including those on the FIFA panel, and those on the ZIFA Elite panel.
"Eighty officials participated and, generally, the performance was good.''
However, others failed the test.
"Those on the FIFA panel, who did not make it, are Norman Matemera and Stella Ruvinga.
"Thanks Nyahuye did not participate, as she is sidelined by injury, which saw her pulling out of the COSAFA tournament.
"On the ZIFA panel, the following did not make it — Artwell Mazire, Yasin Yasin, Joel Magweva, Anthony Siyavundah, Zibusiso Nkomo, Lorraine Mondoka, Neria Tembo."
Although most of the Zimbabwean referees have been inactive, for the past two years, the ZIFA Referees boss said they will not compromise on fitness.
The referees who failed the assessment, at the weekend, will be given another opportunity after six weeks, in accordance with the FIFA guidelines.
"The reason why they did not make it was because they were not fit.
"Of course, there was no football taking place but the referees were given weekly training programmes to follow.
"We have had referees instructors, in various provinces, monitoring if they had been following the programmes, on a weekly basis.
"So, when someone comes for fitness assessment, and they fail to complete three laps, it means they may not have been following the programmes correctly, or were not following at all.
"But as the ZIFA Referees' Committee, we don't want unfit match officials because some of the mistakes that we experience in football are because the referee probably lacked fitness.
"So, we will not compromise on that issue, fitness is not negotiable in the modern game.
"These guys will not be part of the Chibuku Super Cup games and will have to wait for the next assessment after six weeks."
Source - The Herald
