T. NashipaeUlinzi Starlets coach laments over inconsistent officiating
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 11.10.23. | 09:42
Joseph Wambua joins the growing list of coaches and players who have addressed the issue of poor officiating
With an increase in the number of football matches being played in the country, pressure on referees to meet the growing demands of officiating matches to the expected standards is growing.
In the recent past, coaches and players have voiced their extreme disapproval over what they term as 'poor officiating'. There have been complaints in the football fraternity over the manner in which the matches are being handled, with many arguing that referees are still struggling with some rules.
Speaking after his side narrowly lost 2-1 to four times Kenya Women's Premier League (KWPL) Vihiga Queens on Sunday at the Moi Stadium in Kisumu, a visibly concerned Ulinzi Starlets tactician Joseph Wambua who was still coming to terms with the loss, said it was a worrying trend.
“We lost our first game of the season to Vihiga due to poor officiating. The referee was against my side from the first minute of the match, something which demoralized my players. She disallowed our first half goal by Jentrix Kuyudi citing Vihiga’s keeper Sophy Akinyi was injured. Kuyudi shot on target, and Akinyi tried to punch the ball away, but she ended up directing it to the goal. It was a clear goal to me, but the referee denied us,” Wambua lamented.
“I have no issue with Vihiga’s first goal; it was a clear one, I have reservations with the second one. Bertha Omita, the scorer, was in the offside position when he scored the second goal. We also had many fouls that the referee didn’t give us. I believe the match official had planned the match outcome in the boardroom before it was played. The federation should do something to curb this behaviour,” he added.
Ulinzi Starlets will welcome Wadadia on Saturday 14 October at their backyard at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi. The gaffer emphasized his hopes that such an unfortunate incident would not be repeated in that crucial match.
"We will give Wadadia the respect they deserve when we host them on Saturday. It’s a good team with great players, but we are the soldiers; we will fight for our first win of the season. It’s my hope the referee will be fair in the game,” Wambua concluded.
The soldiers currently sit on a worrying position 10 on the log without a point, while their weekend's opponents Wadadia are fifth with a point.
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