Ekhaya Football Club has asked the authorities to investigate the officiation of their Airtel Top 8 quarterfinal first leg match against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.
The match, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate, was played on Saturday at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe City.
Ekhaya Chief Executive Officer Thando Mhango said they had concern over the standard of officiation during the match.
“We respectfully call upon the sponsors, Fam [Football Association of Malawi] and Referees Association of Malawi to thoroughly review and investigate the officiating of this match.
Competitions of this stature are intended to promote fair competition and elevate Malawian football and all participating teams deserve confidence that matches are being decided on merit.
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“The decisions witnessed during the match have raised serious questions among players, officials, supporters and neutral observers alike. For the credibility and integrity of the competition, we believe a transparent review is necessary. Malawian football cannot reach its full potential if concerns regarding officiating continue to undermine confidence in the game,” Mhango said.
He said Ekhaya deserved to win the match because they delivered an outstanding performance.
“Accountability, fairness and transparency are essential for the growth of our sport. From our perspective, and in the view of many [people] who witnessed the match, Ekhaya delivered a performance worthy of victory.
“While the result is recorded, the concerns surrounding the officiating remain and deserve serious attention from the relevant authorities. We therefore urge the appropriate bodies to investigate the matter and take any necessary action in the interest of fairness, integrity and the future of Malawian football,” Mhango said.
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Fam Referees Manager Duncan Lengani said teams needed to respect referees’ decisions.
“The spirit of the game is that decisions of referees are final and should be respected at all times. Ekhaya have every right to complain about officiation but what they must know is that the referee is mandated to make decisions in a match. Such decisions are made based on various considerations in line with the Laws of the Game.
