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Paul Mundandi, Harare Bureau
HIGHLANDERS wrote a letter of protest, before their Castle Lager Premiership tie against Black Rhinos at Morris Depot on Wednesday, over the appointment of referee Norman Matemera to handle their match.

Bosso lost 0-3.

After seeing Matemera on the pitch, the Highlanders officials wrote a letter of protest to match commissioner Tendai Bwanya.

“We wish to register an official complaint on the appointment of Mr Matemera as the referee for our match against Rhinos FC at Morris Depot today, 14th of June 2017,’’ club chief executive Nhlahla Dube wrote.

“Our discomfort with the said match official is that:
1 – In 2014 he handled our match against Dynamos FC and made controversial decision by adding more than nine minutes of optional time when the board had indicated four minutes.

2 – In 2015, in our match against Dynamos, he made a bad call and denied our club victory.

3 – He is as we are informed a serving-member of ZRP and is thus conflicted when handling a game involving another arm of the national armed forces.

“We thus register an official complaint before the match proceeds. We, will, however participate in the match under protest.”

Zifa Referees Committee chief Gladmore Muzambi confirmed receipt of the letter.

Meanwhile, Thomas Kusosa, the assistant refereee who was at the centre of the abandoned match between Highlanders and Dynamos this season, is one of a panel of match officials for the Cosafa tournament in South Africa.

Referee Philani Ncube, who was also in charge of that game, has also been appointed to be part of the referees at the Cosafa tournament.

“They two are doing well on the international scene no wonder why the Cosafa Referees Committee appointed them,’’ said Zifa referees chief Gladmore Muzambi.

“We hope they will go and represent us well throughout the tournament.’’

Kusosa is a member of the Fifa panel and has ipressed on monthly progressive tests from Fifa meant to gauge the level of interpretation of the Laws of the Game.

The tests include analysis of match situations, Laws of the Game trivia and offside.