What disappoints me the most is that the two who are supposed to be brothers are being draged to umthetwhwandaba ngabempumalanga. Akumyangisi na uMaWi to identify with the wrong camp and provoke incekeza enje against a fellow brother. Akaboni lokuthi he is falling into their trap, and he lacks i-fore sight yokuthi one day bazamhukhulela kude okwetshongololo, sebemsebenzise wajujuka. Isala kutshelwa sibona ngomopho!!!
Babeth'ayibulawe
Asoz'ibulawe
UNkomo wafelan'akabon'esikwenzayo
Hayilenda yithimu yezwe lonke
Hiya mafikizolo
Uthanda ungathandi
bosso is there to stay
Referees have come and gone
They will come and go
None has made a name
Kodwa ezikaMagebula Hatshi
Yiyo ngenkani
Ongafuniyo kayekele
Uma besijuja kanje
Kuvuka idlabuzane ledlozi lonke
Basipha umfutho
Siza futha ngawo lo umfutho
Sibafuqele kude
Bathi genqu!!!
Ezikamagebula sezitshaye amanqetshane
Phez'ukwab'obonke
Ngezimnyama ngenkani phela
Hatshi ngozwelo
Hatshi ngokuzwisisana
Hatshi ngokuzwanana
Kodwa ngo dlii
Hiya mthakathi
Uzawukhomb'umuz'lotshwala
Yilo lodwa igugu esanelise ukuligogodla kuze kube manje koMthwakazi and we can't let go of it.
Highlanders blast referees
By Wellington Toni
PREMIER Soccer League champions
Highlanders have attacked the Zimbabwe Soccer Referees Association for failing to deal with inept match officials.
The attack came barely a week after
Highlanders’ controversial 2-2 draw against Mwana Africa at Trojan Mine in Bindura last Saturday.
Moreso, even before the tension between the two teams has died down, they meet on Sunday at Barbourfields in the second round of the CBZ FA Cup and later in the reverse fixture of the Premiership.
The Sunday match will certainly attract a full house, not because it is a cup match, but the rivalry that has suddenly erupted between the two teams.
Highlanders felt robbed of victory on Saturday after being denied a third goal scored by Zephaniah Ngodzo by referee Ronald Mwanjira for ‘offside’, although two defenders were covering the goalkeeper when the visitors’ defender scored.
Team manager Emmett Ndlovu was redcarded, while coach Methembe Ndlovu and his counterpart and former
Highlanders mentor Willard Khumalo almost traded blows on the touchline at the end of the match.
While both coaches have apologised for their behaviour, this will not douse the fire on the rumours that referees are plotting to stop the defending champions from retaining their title.
The plot is not just against
bosso, but against the southern region as there are reports that some machinations are in place in Harare to have Hwange and Njube Sundowns relegated from the league as travelling to Wankie and Gwanda ‘is too costly’.
A Harare club official confirmed that there was such a meeting last weekend to derail
Highlanders and have Hwange and Sundowns relegated ‘by all means necessary’.
The
Highlanders coach and Khumalo will face disciplinary action from the League. Mwana’s Stephen Alimenda was red-carded for a crude tackle on Ricky Sibiya.
Last season, controversial Mwanjira was in the centre of a row between Motor Action and Lancashire Steel after being accused by the Mighty Bulls of biased refereeing.
Yesterday,
Highlanders vice-chairman Elkanah Dube blasted the referees’ committee for their inept handling of matches in a report addressed to Premier Soccer League secretary-general Kennedy Ndebele.
“The reception was very hostile and with the Mwana Africa supporters chanting vulgar songs about
Highlanders.
“The game started 35 minutes late as one of the assistant referees did not turn up and had to be replaced by a volunteer who at the end of the day did a much better job than the authentic assistant referee and referee.
“One wonders what would have happened if the replaced assistant referee had officiated. The standard of officiating was the worst our team has ever been subjected to.
“Fresh in our minds is the dubious penalty that referee Kenny Marange awarded to Motor Action in Gwanzura resulting in the draw in which we dropped two points.
“In Mucheke, the referee added seven minutes of injury-time enabling Masvingo United to score an equaliser resulting in the draw where we also dropped two points.
“As a club, we appeal for good officiating. That is why when lost to CAPS United at Rufaro and Dynamos at Barbourfields we did not complain because the standard of refereeing was perfect and beyond reproach.
“This is what football is all about. By the same token,
Highlanders does not condone unprofessional conduct by any of its players and officials and therefore regrets the technical team’s overreaction, even though they were extremely provoked.
“Match officials should not be permitted to promote a volatile atmosphere during a game. This is killing our football.
“It is not surprising that none of our match officials will be taking part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“The referees association should desist from protecting inept match officials as this casts dispersion on those match officials who always efficiently do their job.
“It should crack the whip as is the norm in other countries. “For how long will the association cover up for this cancer in our football,’ wrote Dube yesterday.
The
Highlanders vice-chairman said Mwanjira influenced the outcome of the game by making dubious decisions against
Highlanders throughout the match.
“In the first 10 minutes, Eric Mudzingwa was being butchered left right and centre and he was stretchered off three times with bruises and cuts.
“None of the Mwana Africa players were cautioned, instead during that period, three
Highlanders players were cautioned-the worst being Johannes Ngodzo who was cautioned for an offence he did not commit mid way in the first half.
“It was at this point that the manager was sent off for trying to draw the attention of the referee to this glaring error.
“It must be noted that in his footballing career spanning over 15 years, our manager has never been given marching orders.
”Mwana Africa’s first goal was a result of a free kick arising from an infringement by their player on a
Highlanders player, surprisingly the free-kick was awarded to Mwana Africa.
“Midway in the second half, Ralph Matema was deliberately hacked down by a Mwana Africa defender as he was preparing to take a crack at goal inside the box.
“For reasons best known to him, the referee adjudged that the offence had been committed outside the box and gave a freekick on the 18-yard line instead of giving a penalty and red carding the Mwana Africa player for a professional foul.
“In the dying minutes of the game, the referee disallowed for ‘offside’, a genuine goal struck by defender Zephaniah Ngodzo, two minutes from time, off a corner when two Mwana Africa defenders were covering their goalkeeper.
“In short, the referee influenced the outcome of the game. “Everything being normal,
Highlanders could easily have won the game and collected three points,” Dube wrote.
But the association has been known to be vindictive and
Highlanders might find the going even tougher in their remaining away matches, where their biggest games will be against Dynamos and CAPS FC in the capital.
Highlanders have played eight away games this season, winning three, drawing three and losing two against Lancashire Steel and CAPS United.
The 1-0 loss to Lancashire ended in chaos again as
Highlanders fans ran riot after the match accusing match officials of bias. The defending champions forked out a $10 million fine for that.
Masvingo referee Godfrey Gombwe, crowned the Referee of the Year in 2005, has already been caught in controversy following the CAPS United-Eastern Lions match, which he handled in Mutare.
Two of the match officials had not been appointed for the match, while Masimba Chihowa has handled a majority of Lions’ home matches.
It remains to be seen now what action, if any, the referees association, will take on Bindura-based assistant referee Richard Mwondoka, who arrived at the match venue on Saturday, 35 minutes late and had to be replaced by a volunteer.
Wilfred Mukuna, the referees’ committee boss asked for questions in writing, but said he would only respond this morning.
Ndebele, the PSL secretary-general said he had not yet seen the
Highlanders, the referees and police report on the match.
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