FAZ protests poor officiating of the Zambia, E/Guinea match

FAZ has written FIFA, demanding action on the poor officiating that characterised Zambia’s 2-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea in the Qatar 2022 World Cup third group match at Estadio de Malabo on Thursday evening.

Moroccan referee El Jaafari Noureddine made questionable decisions in the first half, with almost every decision going against Zambia.

Most notable among them was a 26th minute straight red card against midfielder Prince Mumba when Zambia was in ascendance after soaking up early pressure from the home team.

England based striker Patson Daka was a victim as every run he made over the defence was called off.

Daka was again on the receiving end when he beat the last man in defence but was fouled when he was just about to pull the trigger.

Yet, the referee blew for a foul against him and allowed play to continue while the player was left lying in pain and needed medical attention to return to action.

This is a decision that left a handful of home fans inside the stadium condemning it with murmurs.

Captain Lubambo Musonda and midfielder Clatous Chama and Fashion Sakala furiously approached the Moroccan as he threatened to book them all, but the players continued with their protestations.

Coach Beston Chambeshi and his technical bench too could not hide their frustrations.

At half time a furious Andrew Kamanga accompanied by his vice, Justin Mumba and FAZ Lusaka Province chairman Jordan Maliti went down from their VVIP box to approach Cameroonian Match Commissioner Konate Alim Aboubakar.

They questioned why Noureddine should continue officiating the match when his actions were skewed against the Zambian teach.

“These people are embarrassing Africa, there must be fair play in football. Match Commissioner, I am in CAF and you are in CAF, is this fair play that we are watching? Football has to be fair not this,” said Kamanga as Aboubakar calmed him down and walked into the referees’ change room.

On resumption, Zambia picked up the tempo and put pressure on the home side and missed two good chances.

But Equatorial Guinea’s numerical disadvantage took its toll on Zambia, with Sakala and Daka repeatedly being called offside.

“Football is about normal play but what we saw today(Yesterday) is completely outside normal football that we all subscribe to.”

“At halftime we went to see the match commissioner and we played the second half under protest and even after the second half we still went back and filled a formal complaint all because we believe that football should be won fairly but what we witnessed today (yesterday)was nowhere near that.”

Noureddine made another questionable decision leading up to the second goal when he adjudged Benedict Chepeshi to have handled the ball after the defender appeared to have chested the ball away from the attacking striker on the far left.

With the referee producing a yellow card from his pocket and about to show a protesting Chepeshi and the home side making a quick attacking start, Noureddine took the card he had pulled out back in the pocket and started running, allowing play.

An out of position Chepeshi who was waiting to be booked started racing back but the effort was rather too late as the home side scored a second which attracted a lengthy protest from the Zambian players led by Tandi Mwape, Kelvin Mubanga, Dominic Chanda and Sakala, questioning the logic behind the referee’s decision.

With Zambian players’ tempers flaring on the pitch midway through the second half, FAZ communications manager Sydney Mungala who was accredited to be taking pictures from the pitch side, was violently removed by security following instructions from the fourth official, Zourak Adil.

Mungala was pushed as he protested while displaying his accreditation, but the uncompromising home security detail that included police and stadium security personnel pushed and tossed him around, igniting fury from the Zambian delegation led by general secretary Adrian Kashala.

With a minute left to play before the end of the match, a fight ensued as an overzealous security officer from the local FA identified as Inocensio Ncogo punched one of Zambia’s kit managers and a player from the bench as they walked towards the exit gate from the terraces onto the pitch.

Angered by Ncogo’s action, the visiting security team joined into the confrontation and scuffles ensued, with police watching at first until one of the match officials approached the scene and seemingly scared police who moved in to chase their people away.

After a high tempered match ended, Kamanga and his officials remained behind in the stadium to draft a protest to FIFA, detailing the whole match proceedings copied to CAF, which Kashala handed over to Aboubakar who was still locked up in a meeting with referees.

Zambia host Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.

[The Mast]