Like hangmen, referees can attract all the negativ...

Like hangmen, referees can attract all the negatives

Zim Now Writer

Being a hangman is not a simple job as most might assume. The hangman terminates convicts' lives, once their time to die comes.
In the game of football, the referee is the hangman, especially in this part of the world where highly controversial Video assistant referee technology has not yet been embraced.

On the heels of an unfortunate incident in which referee Jimmy Makwanda hogged the limelight with a performance that resulted in him being assaulted by CAPS United fans.

Makwanda was hit by a missile on the head and had to bandage the blood-gushing wound, before leaving the field under heavy guard from the police and CAPS United marshals.

That was two weeks ago when the Green Machine drew with Simba Bhora at the National Sports Stadium.

The Premier Soccer League condemned the violence with PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare saying: “We note with concern the recent attacks on match officials during Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches. The Premier Soccer League strongly condemns any form of abuse, harassment or assault on match officials.

“The referees are there to apply the Laws of the Game and their decisions must be respected by clubs and all stakeholders. We advise clubs to lodge official complaints if they are not happy with the match officials’ decisions.

“The Premier Soccer League is determined to ensure that such behaviour is stamped out of the game and will be taking necessary disciplinary action as provided in the PSL Rules and Regulations,” she said.

Seven days down the line, same venue, a losing outcome for CAPS United and the supporters waited for the referee, Thabani Ruzario. This time, it was a different story all together. Unlike the previous week's case, the fans scrambled to have selfies with the referee, Ruzario.

CAPS fans mobbed Ruzario and praised him for handling the match so well, although their team lost, with Craneborne Bullets’ winning goal coming in the 89th minute.

They were singing praises of Ruzario, whom they felt handled the game so well, despite their loss.

In Facebook post with photographs of Ruzario, Libertino commented:

“Here’s a brave man [not Baba Harare]

Referee Thabani Ruzario handled CAPS United’s first match [vs Cranborne Bullets] after the unfortunate incident that resulted in the injury of referee Jimmy Makwanda.

Fans wanted selfies after the game, hanzi mareferee manyama.

He also comes from Masvingo like Baba Harare though,” wrote Libertino.

Ruzarion has just been promoted to handle remier League matches and this is his first season in the topflight.

The lessons here are clear. Violence must never be condoned as it scares away brands we would want our football to be associated with for sponsorship.

Referees can also redeem themselves through up fair displays whenever they are at the centre.

In the game of football, across the globe, referees have often been criticised for being biased, unfair among a coterie of other negatives.

For Ruzario, a father of one and former Chicken Inn, Blue Swallows and Twalumba FC defender, fairness is the hallmark of refereeing. Perhaps the fact that he is a former player who understands the pain and grief of losing in a contest that has been poorly handled by the judges, he knows what is right.

“Fairness defines a good referee. The margins of error must be minimal so that the game remains an enjoyable sport which people will pay to watch and those who invest it can get mileage. No one enjoys a sport whose ‘judges’ are not fair,” he told Zim Now in a past interview.