By Sikhumbuzo Moyo
FOUR more Black Rhinos players were arrested following an attack on referee Mercy Maimbo during the NetOne Charity Shield final between the army outfit and Inline Academy of Bulawayo.
The army side lost 4-5 on penalties at the weekend. The two Women’s Super League teams were tied on 2-2 after extra-time.
Following the incident, which has drawn national condemnation especially after the publication of a picture in which Mighty Warriors striker Rufaro Machingura went airborne with booted feet landing on the poor referee’s neck, Machingura and her teammate Tariro Makumbe were arrested soon after the match.
The referee in her statement to the police fingered four more players who have since been arrested and are expected to appear in court today.
“It was indeed an unfortunate and embarrassing end to an otherwise good tournament. We understand six players in total were arrested and are set to appear in court tomorrow (today),” said the Zimbabwe Women’s Football Association boss Miriam Sibanda.
She blasted the army side’s players behaviour and said her office will soon be forwarding a detailed report to Zifa so that disciplinary proceedings can be instituted on the players while her board will also be sanctioning Black Rhinos.
“As women we must be seen as peace makers and not instigators of violence. When things turn out like this it certainly does not augur well for us as women and the sport in general. We do not condone such barbaric behaviour,” said Sibanda.
She said the players would remain suspended from the game until disciplinary hearings.
Meanwhile, Zifa have castigated the attack on the referee and said the two players would be dealt with in terms of football statutes.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) would like to condemn in the strongest terms the violent attack on referee Maimbo by Black Rhinos Queens players, Machingura and Makumbe, during the NetOne Cup final on Saturday.
“In terms of the laws of the game, referees are empowered to have the final decision and we would like to make it explicitly clear that an attack on referees is viewed seriously by the association.
“We do not condone violence and the two culprits will inevitably face the full wrath of football statutes.
“The beautiful game of football celebrates ethos of non-violence and Fair Play, hence the rogue and violent behaviour of the two players cannot go unpunished,” read Zifa’s statement.
Zifa acting president Omega Sibanda said if the accused players felt more comfortable as kickboxers, they were free to leave the peaceful game of football and join kickboxing.
“In football we do the kicking of the ball and in boxing they do officialised boxing so if the Black Rhinos players want that, then they should leave our game peacefully,” said Sibanda. Chronicle
