Dembare referee should go and show his grandchildren the video of the match

Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu had no kind words for refereeing decisions that were made during his team's defeat to Dynamos in a tension-filled Castle Premiership match here yesterday.

Mafu felt referee Norman Matemera aided Dynamos' win by disallowing Edmore Muzanenhamo's effort 10 minutes from time for offside.

Muzanenhamo was clearly onside when he smashed home what could have been an equalising goal but Matemera and his nearside assistant Bongani Gadzikwa ruled out the strike for offside.

After the game Mafu threw his weight behind his charges but pointed at the costly mistake made by the referee as the reason behind his team's loss.



"I think the referee should go and show his grandchildren the video of this match and let them decide," Mafu said after the match.

"If the referee says I used to referee in Zimbabwe and I officiated in a big game and this is the offside or the thing that I gave and the kids accept that then he can be happy. But if his grandchildren are not happy, I am not happy either.

"I don't think it was offside. These are the decisions that kill our football. Decisions like that might take Dynamos to the championship.

"Trust me they will be second in Africa because our cousins who give them those favours will not be there.

"So let's have proper referring here if we are to improve all-round. I am not happy with that seriously."   

Mafu added: "I think we played some good football; we controlled the game but at the same time conceded silly goals which we should not concede at this level.

"I think we need to tighten up our defence, we need to have confidence to hold on to a good start which we should have normally held on in this game.

"At the end of the day there is no point of playing good football and failing to win. Good football is when you play and score goals, it's about who won the game. It's work in progress. We have to go back to the drawing board.

"It's sad really," Mafu said. "We can't have results cooked like what happened today. National champions must be on merit not this nonsense. Our football will not go anywhere with this kind of officiating."

"We told the boys that we're better than Dynamos and the boys did prove that, but sadly someone else [assistant referee] came into the picture," said Mafu.

Mafu also felt Augustine Mbara, who fouled Obadiah Tarumbwa to earn Highlanders the opening goal from the spot, should have seen red, not the yellow card he was shown by controversial referee Norman Matemera.

The Bulawayo giants were dangerous both in the early and later exchanges with Knox Mutizwa and King Nadolo, keeping the Dynamos back line on their toes.

Highlanders vice chairman Mgcini Mpofu, who watched the match in the VVIP tribune, blasted the match officials and claimed that they were robbed.

"On a good day we could have won this match with the right official. Dynamos didn't deserve to win this match. It is high time the referees up their officiating and this is why you find out that Zimbabwe as a country is not represented at bigger refereeing platforms such as African Cup of Nations.

"How can you get a good goal denied? And the same referee is the one who officiated our match against the same team, which ended in controversy after he awarded 10 minutes added time," Mpofu said.