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Zimbabwean referees excluded from CHAN tournament
05 Jan 2025 at 08:21hrs | Views
Zimbabwean referees have been excluded from the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) list of officials for the upcoming CHAN finals, which will take place in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The tournament is scheduled to begin on February 1 and conclude with the final on February 28.
Once considered a continental powerhouse in refereeing, Zimbabwe has seen its standing in African football decline significantly over the years. This Friday, CAF announced a list of 65 referees selected for the tournament, with officials from lower-ranked countries making the cut ahead of Zimbabweans.
The absence of Zimbabwean referees has sparked discussion on social media, where many blamed the development on poor officiating in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League. Allegations of match manipulation have plagued the league, with numerous questionable decisions by referees and linesmen coming under scrutiny during the past season. Some of these incidents even led to the abandonment of matches, such as the prematurely ended Chibuku Super Cup match between Simba Bhora and Highlanders at Wadzanai Stadium.
By the fifth week of the league, the ZIFA referees committee had already suspended five officials for dubious officiating. Speaking on the matter, referees' boss Norman Matemera acknowledged the issues plaguing Zimbabwean refereeing. "Of course, we are punishing them for their misconduct. Our referees make a lot of mistakes. For your own information, we are in week five and have played 45 matches in the league. Of those, we have three or four matches in which we felt referees influenced the outcome of the game," Matemera said.
Zimbabwe's referees have also been affected by the FIFA ban that froze the country out of international competitions. This sanction resulted in Zimbabwean match officials being removed from FIFA's panel, further compounding their challenges on the global stage.
The exclusion of Zimbabwean referees from the CHAN finals highlights the urgent need for reforms and improvements within the country's refereeing structures to restore its former glory.
Once considered a continental powerhouse in refereeing, Zimbabwe has seen its standing in African football decline significantly over the years. This Friday, CAF announced a list of 65 referees selected for the tournament, with officials from lower-ranked countries making the cut ahead of Zimbabweans.
The absence of Zimbabwean referees has sparked discussion on social media, where many blamed the development on poor officiating in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League. Allegations of match manipulation have plagued the league, with numerous questionable decisions by referees and linesmen coming under scrutiny during the past season. Some of these incidents even led to the abandonment of matches, such as the prematurely ended Chibuku Super Cup match between Simba Bhora and Highlanders at Wadzanai Stadium.
By the fifth week of the league, the ZIFA referees committee had already suspended five officials for dubious officiating. Speaking on the matter, referees' boss Norman Matemera acknowledged the issues plaguing Zimbabwean refereeing. "Of course, we are punishing them for their misconduct. Our referees make a lot of mistakes. For your own information, we are in week five and have played 45 matches in the league. Of those, we have three or four matches in which we felt referees influenced the outcome of the game," Matemera said.
Zimbabwe's referees have also been affected by the FIFA ban that froze the country out of international competitions. This sanction resulted in Zimbabwean match officials being removed from FIFA's panel, further compounding their challenges on the global stage.
The exclusion of Zimbabwean referees from the CHAN finals highlights the urgent need for reforms and improvements within the country's refereeing structures to restore its former glory.
Source - newzimbabwe
