Simba, Bosso abandoned match: Referee Cecil Ngwezere suspended

Cecil Ngwezere, the referee who was in charge of the abandoned Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match pitting Simba Bhora and Highlanders last Sunday, has been suspended by ZIFA.

Ngwezere awarded a dubious penalty to Simba Bhora in the 79th minute, causing abandonment of the match as Highlanders players disputed the call.

The Bosso players led by their captains goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda and his vice Peter Muduhwa, walked off the field forcing a lengthy stoppage resulting in the referee eventually ending the game.

Following the incident, the referees committee led by their chairman Norman Matemera, have found fault with Ngwezere’s conduct.

Ngwezere’s suspension comes a day after the media reported his assistant Zondzi Ngosana had also been slapped with the same punishment.

A statement by the referees committee reveals Ngosana will be out for six weeks due to poor officiating.

When asked, Ngosana who was closer to the incident, assured Ngwezere the foul had been committed in the box.

Ngosana, who was the far-side assistant, incorrectly advised the main referee to award a penalty to Simba after a foul by Highlanders defender Peter Muduhwa on Tinashe Balakasi.

However, replays of the incident clearly showed that the foul had occurred outside the penalty area.

“THE ZIFA Referees Committee hereby notifies that you have been suspended from officiating soccer matches for the next six matches.

“The suspension has been occasioned by your low standard of officiating in the match, Simba Bhora versus Highlanders at Wadzanai Stadium, Shamva, on 22 September 2024.”

Furthermore, ZIFA said: “In the match, the referee awarded a penalty to Simba Bhora for a foul which occurred outside the penalty area.

“As the assistant, you should have been marking the penalty area line which is parallel to the goal line. That way, you would have been able to see that the ball was out of the penalty area. That decision impacted on the match. The match was abandoned.”