By Chris Totobela
The Makana LFA premier league is now reaching a crucial stage where every point counts and might determine your destiny. Many coaches and managers, including some football fans, are completely unhappy with the standard of refereeing in Makhanda.
Rhodes University sports administrator and Maru coach Siyabonga Dumiso says that local referees are not that bad: “Our referees are improving, yes they make mistakes sometimes as human and costly ones at times. I can mention two that I think are doing their job well: Akhona Heshu and Lucky Ngcani.”
Jacaranda Aces coach Asanda Koliti echoed the same sentiments. “Our referees are much better compared to the ones that officiate for us in away games,” he said.
“I so wish that you come with us one day and see for yourself how bad officiating is in other towns. Port Alfred and Alicedale are the worst, and even the field they use in Alicedale is so bad. It has stones, and it is unplayable.”
City Pirates coach Loyiso Plaatjie had a different view: ” I’m not impressed with the standard of local referees both at LFA level and in Hollywood Bets regional league. We have lost games that we were not supposed to lose in the past because of biased refereeing.”
“There is this one referee who always makes sure that he officiates our games when we play against our local rivals, and we always know what to expect whenever he is in charge. It was the first time last week that he decided not to officiate in our local derby, and we won,” Plaatjie added.
“I think our referees are not too bad, but they have their own agendas to push certain teams and that forces them to lose focus. They will make mistakes as they are human, but when their mistakes start to cost some teams and help others all the time, it becomes a serious problem. I have watched the many LFA games and have seen how poor the standard of refereeing is.”
Joza Callies coach and manager Louis Ntlanjeni believes that the standard can improve and that the situation has been like that for a very long time. “No one seems to care. People just show up with whistles and officiate and some you clearly see that they are up to something. There are no referee clinics.”
“We spend a lot of time preparing our teams, only to lose games due to incompetent referees who do not really know what they are doing. Our referees’ department needs to be led by someone with a high level of qualification who will be able to conduct referees’ clinics, keep our referees up to speed with the new developments, and monitor and evaluate our referees’ performance. It will be easier to influence the results of the games with the current situation and something needs to be done now before it is too late.”
Sophia Young Stars director of sport Thulani Msipha, also a competition committee member, shared his views on the matter: “Honestly speaking, this department has been neglected for a long time, and it has not been taken seriously.”
“We are now at a critical stage of the season and need our referees to be on top of their game. I think the mistake that was made was to appoint a referee convener and not give him the support he needs. He did well under those circumstances, but I still think that our referees need to be empowered.”
XI Attackers coach Tanduxolo Faxi says the LFA got it all wrong when they introduced the R30 incentives for referees. “I think the standard of refereeing is [inferior], and most of these referees just come for these R30s and leave; they don’t even know the rules of the game, and we as coaches have to keep quiet to avoid trouble. Look now, as we speak, there is not even a single official in this field, and what if something happens to these boys who are officiating?”
Rhodes University’s first team coach, who is the highest qualified in Makhanda currently with a CAF B License, Thembelani “Bravo” Mzalazala, poured his heart out about the situation and other things as well: “It is not too bad, but they can improve especially if the executive can take football seriously. It is completely unacceptable to have referees who are officiating games wearing caps, hoodies and track pants, as they might be hiding dangerous weapons under those clothes. As I speak to you, I see an assistant referee using an empty 2lt cooldrink container as a linesmen flag that shows that we are not taken seriously.”
“I wish the executive could assist them with proper gear and equipment. In…last week’s game against Joza Callies, I referred to the match referee as a comedian because of his antics, and I apologise to the young man as I said it out of frustration. I think the referees’ department got it all wrong, as they appointed the wrong man for that game. It was a big game, as Joza Callies is one of the title contenders and is playing good football…the stadium was packed, and I think the young man in the middle got overwhelmed by the occasion. Today, as I speak, there are no officials [on the]field, and I think our executive needs to take us seriously.”
Mzalazala also commented on the standard of football in the Makana LFA: “I think the standard of football is not bad, but our coaches need to equip themselves with coaching courses so that they can improve their technical and tactical part of the game. The condition of the field is also not up to standard, but the least the executive committee can do is make sure that the field is properly marked.”
Luvuyo” Biemba” Ntlanjeni responded to the huge outcry that the top referees don’t want to come and assist in the LFA games as the money is not good: “To me, the money is not the problem, but how can I officiate in a field that is not marked? There are no lines here, and we will not be able to see if the ball is out of play or not. If the LFA is serious about football, they must mark the field.”
Speaking to Grocott’s Mail, three referees who officiated in all the weekend games made some interesting Revelations. They said no one appointed them as they just woke up and went to the field to officiate in games to get cash to buy data and other items. They also confirmed that they have never received any training as there are no clinics. They say they choose among themselves who will officiate in which game and share the money equally. They further confirmed that they are not worried about the invisibility of lines on the field, as they are only there to make money and ensure the games continue.
Makana LFA referees convenor Thando Dyibhishe responded to the allegations made concerning his department: “I know that we have a problem, and we are doing our best under the circumstances. We only had one referees’ course since I took over, and it was in Umthatha, [where]I sent two referees.”
“We have never had any coaching clinics, as the executive committee has never conducted or organised even a single one. The only thing that will help solve this crisis is for the executive committee to organise coaching clinics for all our referees and to send as many referees as possible to referee courses. Our top referees are old and will not carry on for long, and that is why we need to groom young ones to take over.”
Football legend Xolela “Joe” Tyelbooi believes that the refereeing department needs overhauling: “I think the whole department is rotten from top to bottom, and changes need to be made immediately. We cannot carry on like this. How is it possible that after so many years, we only have three qualified referees who are eligible to officiate in the regional league? You can see that even the regional league referees are not up to standard. I’ve watched a lot of games, and I’m not impressed with what I see week in and week out.”
The football community has spoken, and it is up to the authorities to sit down and devise a plan to improve the refereeing standard. The fact that we have not had a single referee promoted to officiate in higher leagues for the last two decades clearly shows what most people are complaining about.
Makhanda has hosted big tournaments like the New Year’s Cup but has yet to have one referee officiating as the man in the middle, even in the tournament’s group stages. What does that say about the quality of our referees?
People like Dedree Mitchell and Lindikhaya Bolo, who started officiating at the same time as our local referees and used to officiate in games involving local side African Connection WFC in the then Halala cup, have since moved on to officiate in the PSL, and one wonders what is holding our referees back.
