By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (May 27^th 2021)

Questionable?

As main rivals Sensational Zanaco sent coach Chistopher Kaunda on the dreaded administrative after shocking officiating gave Buildcon a 4-0 drubbing of Zanaco two days ago – at least one and possibly two goals were questionable and Zanaco were denied a perfectly good goal – Zesco United found themselves on the receiving end of bad calls too, losing 3-0 to Prison Leopards in Kabwe.

Zega Mamba boss, Mumamba Numba, as mild-mannered a man as one could hope to meet, pulled no punches in a dignified response. Club officials also chimed in by accusing the officials of favouring the home side. It probably won’t affect the destination of the title – Zesco have a significant lead at the top of the log – but still.

Action Needed

Mumamba insisted there had to be action after two terrible calls – one costing the opening goal and the other a player. Referee Evans Mulenga pointed to the spot claiming that Clement Mwape had handled the ball – replays showed it had hit the player’s back.

“The officiating of today’s game has contributed to our defeat. The referee didn’t perform to the expectation of everyone. The penalty he gave wasn’t a penalty because the ball hit the player on his back. That also contributed because it gave our opponents power to stay in the game,” said Numba.

He was far from finished. Kelvin Kampamba, already booked for dissent was denied an advantage. Mulenga hauled back play denying Kampamba any advantage. The player wasn’t happy. There was an exchange of words. The incident was over. As Kampamba was putting the ball down to take the free-kick, Mulenga showed him a second yellow and then red. He had not said anything else.

Numba had a clear view and heard the exchange.

A Change Has Gotta Come

“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.”

The former Sensational Zanaco and Chipolopolo midfielder was outraged, as he insisted that was all his talented midfielder said, but as usual kept his cool.

“I think the FAZ referees’ manager, and his people, need to take a great look at how their officials are managing the games. Referees this season have been pathetic. This is something we can’t lie about. They need to do something so that this game of football is developed.”