Malawi: Top FIFA referee banned

  1. Posted on Thursday 30 April 2009 - 11:47
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
    Malawi's top FIFA referee Verson Lwanja has been handed a six months ban from officiating after he messed up a Presidential Cup final game last Saturday. He declared one of the top teams - MTL Wanderers - champions when they had a decisive penalty kick at hand against Escom United.
    Malawi_fans2
    MTL Wanderers who are known by their supporters as Nomads won the penalty shootouts beating Escom United 2-1 after they tied one all during 90 minutes of play. Wanderers’ goalkeeper Vales Kamzere saved three penalties.

    In the penalty shootouts, Escom scored one and missed three whereas Wanderers scored two and missed one however they were supposed to take the last penalty to win the match before Lwanja gave them the win.

    Malawi’s local daily of the Daily Times quoted Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Chief Executive Officer Charles Nyirenda saying Fam and the competitions’ organizing committee came up with Lwanja’s ban during its meeting on Tuesday.

    “After careful consideration of the facts and documents from the match we decided that Mr. Lwanja should be suspended from officiating any local game for six months,” said Nyirenda.

    The FAM officer further said that the referee’s decision to end the match prematurely when both teams were still in contention was a serious offence. According to the report, the ban was only given to the referee and not to his two assistants saying his decision was final during the shootouts.

    “His error was unique and unheard of in football history. One wonders how it could have happened. We are lucky that the supporters at the stadium were patient otherwise his action could have caused a serious civil disorder,” Nyirenda told the Daily Times.

    The Presidential Cup sponsored by the country’s president Bingu Wa Mutharika to the tune of 60 million Malawi Kwacha (approximately $430,000) was launched early this year.

    Wanderers won the Cup which was handed over by the president during the final in the country’s commercial city of Blantyre. They pocketed 10 million Malawi Kwacha (approximately $72,000) for being champions.

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