Fifa pulls yellow card on unfit referees

By Robin Toskin

The red card is about to be flashed on a number of Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and Nationwide referees mentioned adversely in a leaked Fifa instructor’s report on physical fitness.

Serious questions are now been cast on the men in black after the damning report indicted them for failing a simple fitness test conducted last week at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani by South Africa Fifa instructor, Carlos Henriques and Zimbabwean Felix Tangawarima.

Required to complete ten laps (4,000m) on the stadium’s track, dramatic scenes were witnessed when a number of them either fainted, were left gasping for brea)th or hanging on for dear life with only five done. Of 51 referees and assistants presented for assessment to Fifa instructors on April 17, only 66 per cent made the grade.

KPL CEO, Jack Oguda, told FeverPitch they were ready to wield the axe on lazy bone whistlers.

"There are no negotiations on that. The policy is they will be dropped as the soon as the report is made official," Oguda disclosed.

Football Kenya (FK) Referees Committee and KPL are locked in battle of who should be the appointing authority of referees for the top division.

FK presented 31 whistlers while KPL provided 20 for the test.

Lately, KPL and Nationwide clubs have complained of despicable levels of officiating in both divisions.

Bandari coach Douglas Mutua called for immediate axing of the whistle flops to save the competitions.

"There is no point of them continuing to handle matches. We cannot keep complaining about referees week in week out and when tangible evidence of their incompetence is availed, we fail to act," Mutua told FeverPitch.

The report, coming at a time football authorities are bickering over control of whistlers appears to vindicate the clubs outcry.

Thika United coach, Juma Abdalla, however, hit bleak chord saying the clubs had already subjected themselves to the whims of the dodgy officials.

"When the draw for appointment of referees was conducted, we said it should not change until the beginning of second leg. Something needs to be done, urgently," Abdallah revealed.

Oguda, however, threw a lifeline to the physical test flops saying they would get another chance on Thursday.

"We are going to test them again as some missed the test on April 17 for one reason or another. Those who fail again will be dropped," Oguda said.

Six male referees from both FK and KPL made the cut with three for the national governing body failing as opposed to five from the league management firm.

Eleven assistant referees passed the test as four flanked. But there was something to cheer as three of the five international centre referees prevailed with one declared medically unfit to undertake the strenuous test. All five international assistant referees David Sagero, Peter Kiereini, John Ngururi, Aden Marwa and Elias Kuloba passed the test.

 

 

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