By Satish Sekar at Kabwe’s Godfrey Chitalu 107 Stadium © Satish Sekar (May 26^th 2021)

Stunned

Table-topping Zesco United lost for the seventh time this season in the Zambian Super League. Needing just five points from their last six matches, Zesco were beaten 3-0 by relegation threatened Prison Leopards. However, Zesco United coach, Mumamba Numba was far from impressed with the performance of referee, Evans Mulenga.

“[W]e just have to encourage our team,” he said. “We’ve got important games ahead of us. “We still have an opportunity to make sure we win the championship.”

It was a bad day at the office, but not only for the log leaders – yet again the officiating was the story. Usually, it was bad offside calls. Today it was that and more.

Bad Start Gets Worse

It started with the recalled former Kenyan international, Jesse Were being put through on the left but before he could shape to unleash a shot he was wrongly flagged for offside.

Clement Mwape went to ground in the area to block a shot. He claimed it hit his back, but the referee gave a penalty for handball. The TV replays backed (pun intended) Zesco’s claims.

“I think that the penalty that he gave them, it wasn’t a penalty,” Mumamba said. “The ball hit him on his back, and he gave them a penalty. That also contributed to give them the power to come into the game.

“Otherwise, if it had stayed 0-0 it would have been different today.”

Man of the Match, David Obashi, converted the spot kick after Zesco’s protests were waved away. They would not be the only Zesco protests the referee ignored. Seven minutes later the contest was ruined by a very questionable decision – a baffling one.

Poor Performance

Mumamba was not impressed with the quality of the officiating. “I think the referee did not perform to the expectation very well,” he said.

“I think this is where the referees’ manager and his people need to take a great look at how the officials are officiating the game.

“I think referees this season have been very pathetic, but we cannot lie about it. We need to do something about it so this game of football can be developed.”

Having given a penalty wrongly – a decision VAR was invented to correct, Mulenga compounded the wrong with an even greater one. Midfielder Kelvin Kampamba was impeded while marauding down the right flank. He rode the foul only to be hauled back for a free kick that took away the advantage he had earned.

It was assumed that Kampamba had said something to earn a yellow card – his second. The decision incensed Kampamba and Zesco – with good reason. The replays showed that the yellow and red card were shown after Kampamba was putting the ball down to take the free kick. He wasn’t saying anything when the cards were shown.

He had said something on his way back to take the free kick, but no card was shown then. Why the delay and what had he said?

Zesco are clear he did and said nothing to deserve a card of any colour and they protested vigorously, as Mumamba and others were in earshot, but to no avail.

Solutions

“I think these kind of decisions can only finish if we also introduce the VAR, because if you look at the first goal that they scored, I think it wasn’t an handball and if you look at the card that was given to my player, I was just here, close to the referee and the play,” Mumamba said.

“The only thing he asked him? He asked him, ‘What do you want?’

“And then he said the player has insulted me.

“How do you give a card when somebody’s asked with respect, ‘Mr referee, what do you want us to do?’

“Then you give a player a red card. It doesn’t work like that. He needs to officiate a game fair so that team can play the game.”

As the first half was drawing to a close, Tafazwa Rusike was beaten for pace by Obashi, but only received a yellow card when he fouled Obashi as he was not the last man. Nevertheless, Mulenga’s contested decisions had an effect to Zesco’s cost.

Ruined

Prison Leopards took full advantage. It wasn’t their fault. Were, free on the left, beat the keeper but hit the post moments later. It summed up Zesco’s luck. By their own high standards, it was a poor second half by Zesco, but further ill luck plagued then Agustine Henner’s freekick should have been no threat, but Ian Otieno was helpless in Zesco’s goal – wrongfooted by a deflection. That doubled Zesco’s woes. It got worse when Obashi connected with Tshite Mweshi’s cross from the right flank at the far post to make it three. Zesco meet relegated Kitwe United on Sunday.

“I think Kitwe United will be a different team altogether,” Mumamba said. “We will be at home. We just have to plan so we collect maximum points after dropping three points today.”

Meanwhile, Prison Leopards climbed the log significantly.

In the grand scheme, it probably won’t affect the destination of the championship, but in a season of very poor decisions, as Mumamba says, VAR is needed to end poor officiating.