Zimbabwean Highlanders Chairman Ernest Sibanda described the perfomance of the Malawian referee Kalyoto Ngosi in his side's 1-1 stalemate against Green Buffaloes at Lusaka's Nkoloma Stadium as shocking and murderers.
The Malawian whistleman awarded Buffaloes a dubious penalty in 82nd which earned the soldiers a 1-1 draw.
In a post match interview, the upset and emotional Chairman said,"This is murder, they are killing football...these are killers of football," refering to Ngosi's decision to award Buffalloes a penalty.
"Buffaloes had better chances, they played well....they could not score but the referee came and helped them," he added.
Sibanda who is also Zimbabwe national soccer(the Warriors) team manager claimed that he has never seen such kind of officating in his life time.
"It was never a penalty,thats why in some countries the officials are being shot...this is a murderer and i am shocked," said the passionate Zimbabwean.
Another Highlanders official echoed his chairman's remarks and he was surprised to see such kind of officiating in the Cosafa region.
"Last year we were knocked out by Al Ahly of Egypt. we have seen this happen up north but we didn't expect to see it here.....we are brothers
Green Buffaloes played a fantastic game and if they had taken their chances they could have buried us but the referee decided the outcome of the game," said the Highlanders official.
Meanwhile Green Buffaloes coach George 'Chicken'Lwandamina said that the early which Highlanders scored unsettled his players.
"The goal they got in the first minute unsettled the boys and disturbed our game plan. The boys started to hit long balls thinking we might get a goal but thats not the way football is played," he said.
Lwandamina also highlighted that Buffaloes play well away and promised that his team will play their normal game in the return leg in two weeks time.
On the absence of Kabwe Warriors teenage striker Emmanuel Mayuka, the under-20 coach said," it had a bearing but we still have players.....nfortunately they were unsettled by an early.
I can't not say because of the absence those two( Emmanuel Mayuka and William Njobvu) is the reason....he plays for Warriors does he score always?..we can not cry over that."
Mayuka and Njobvu 'helped' Buffaloes thrash Zanzibar side Chipukizi but their special 'FAZ Loan' arrangements have beeb withdrawn their clubs Warriors and Lusaka Dynamos respectively.
In two weeks time Highlanders will host Buffaloes in Bulawayo in the return match.
Read the complete post at http://zambianfootball.blogspot.com/2008/03/iam-shockedthis-is-murder-highlanders.html
Posted
Mar 22 2008, 03:02 PM
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