KEY POINTS
- Assistant referee Zondzi Ngosana has been suspended for six matches for poor officiating.
- The decision to award a penalty led to the abandonment of the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final.
- ZIFA may also take action against the center referee, Cecil Ngwezere.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Referees Committee has suspended assistant referee Zondzi Ngosana after a controversial penalty decision during Sunday’s Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match between Simba Bhora and Highlanders, which was later abandoned.
The game spiraled into chaos in the 79th minute when referee Cecil Ngwezere awarded a penalty to Simba Bhora after Highlanders defender Peter Mudhuwa fouled Simba Bhora striker Tinashe Balakasi close to the box. The decision sparked protests from the Highlanders players, and the match was eventually called off after a 30-minute delay.
Referee’s decision under scrutiny
In a statement, the ZIFA Referees Committee placed blame on assistant referee Zondzi Ngosana for failing to properly assess the situation.
“The ZIFA Referees Committee hereby notifies you that you have been suspended from officiating soccer matches for the next six matches,” the statement read.
According to New Zimbabwe, the committee highlighted Ngosana’s role in failing to correctly position himself to see that the foul occurred outside the penalty area.
“As the assistant, you should have been marking the penalty area line, which is parallel to the goal line. That way, you would have been able to see that the ball was out of the penalty area,” the letter continued.
Impact on the match
The decision to award the penalty had a direct impact on the game, leading to its eventual abandonment. The incident occurred at Wadzanayi Stadium in Shamva, on September 22, 2024.
ZIFA’s Referees Committee stressed that such errors in officiating disrupt the flow of the game and compromise the fairness of the competition.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that further action may also be taken against the center referee, Cecil Ngwezere, who made the initial call for the penalty.
