Referees punishment private, says Muzambi

THE current climate among football fans in Zimbabwe does not allow publicising punishments handed down to match officials.

Zimbabwe Referees Committee vice-chairperson Gladmore Muzambi said the body does not make punishment of blundering match officials public, saying it would create a negative attitude among football fans.

He said having worked in the match officiating profession for a long time he was of the view the move would not aid matters.

Match officials have come under fire by fans for poor officiating and there are complaints by football followers that referees who do not perform well go scot free, while it is not the case.

Muzambi said they have a code of conduct that has set punishments for various misdemeanours their officials might have done.

He said they are still updating the code with an updated version set to be available soon.

Referees are assessed by match commissioners and if they are found to have made a wrong call or judgment whether deliberate or not, they are punished through "suspension" during a period which they are not handed assignments.

However, this is not communicated to other stakeholders in the football world.

"I think fans will develop negative attitudes and maybe label referees the wrong way if they learn he/she has been punished, we might consider doing that in the future but at the moment I do not think it would do anyone any good," said Muzambi. The premature ending of the blockbuster match between Highlanders and Dynamos last Sunday due to crowd trouble after second assistant Thomas Kusosa allowed a goal by Dynamos' Christian Ntoupa Epoupa to stand when he was in an offside position, accoding to Highlanders players and fans, has brought to the fore the state of match officiating in the country.

Muzambi felt the game was already a "poisoned chalice" after the media named officials to handle the match and highlighted that Kusosa had been involved in another Highlanders match where he had denied the side a "goal" after flagging striker, Rodreck Mutuma as offside.

He said there had been no adverse comments from the match commissioner on that particular game hence they did not see any reason against including Kusosa in the line-up of match officials.

Muzambi said talk of conspiracy theories by the referees body to favour one team while prejudicing another were unfounded as they sought professionalism within their ranks.

"We do not support any team, neither do we want any team to lose. We are treating all the teams the same.

"What people should understand is that referees make mistakes all over the world, it is not only confined to Zimbabwe, it is not that we favour one team over another," he said.

Asked if it would not help if referees declared the teams they support and this should be made public, Muzambi replied in the negative saying the environment was not conducive at the moment to make that move.