RC MUST PUNISH REFS – MINISTER ‘CRUISER’

MBABANE – History would be rewritten if elite referees in the country’s football were suddenly punished as it happens with their colleagues beyond our borders.

Like every local soccer fan and clubs, Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala would like to see the Referees Committee step up its game and start hauling the match officials over the coals if caught under-performing or on a sheer dereliction of duty.

Ngcamphalala was responding to a question about the standard of refereeing witnessed this past Sunday at Somhlolo National Stadium whereby agitated Mbabane Highlanders fans lost their cool and threw missiles onto the pitch in their match against Manzini Wanderers.
“I can’t get into the deep details of refereeing but it’s important that these complaints about them are vigilantly scrutinised, assessed and if they are found to have faltered, be duly punished by the Referees Committee or association. When teams complain, then there must be a serious post-mortem of the officials’ work as well as punishment,” he said.

He encouraged the Referees Committee to stand up and be counted by investigating the complaints raised by teams and then deal with them appropriately.
“Fans must also hold their tempers. I was there and saw chairs flying, which wasn’t good at all. The fans must also learn to accept results and decisions especially because according to me, our football is already professional and this cannot be how things happen,” he said.
He gave deserved accolades to Highlanders’ marshals who were quick to intervene and did all they could to calm the situation and ensured it did not disrupt the game, even going to guard the second assistant referee minutes before full-time.

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