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Noel Munzabwa (jnr)

WARRIORS may probably require reformatting to cast away sad memories of the controversial 2018 CHAN Qualifiers exit if the identity of Eswatini referee assigned to take charge of Friday’s World Cup qualify against Lesotho is anything to go by.

Just when Zimbabqeans were beginning to forget the controversial defeat to Namibia at the National Sports Stadium, the football gods had Thulani Sibandze in mind handing him the qualifier set for Orlando Stadium.

Sibandze will be accompanied by the trio of his country men, Thembinkosi Magagula, Thembinkosi Dlamini and Zamani Simelane

Sibandze will be accompanied by the trio of his country men, Thembinkosi Magagula, Thembinkosi Dlamini and Zamani Simelane.

Sibandze was the centre man who together with his assistant referee, Petros Mbingo allegedly allowed a dubious Namibia penalty conversion to stand and dump the Warriors in the cold.

In response, the Swazi duo was suspended by Caf for allowing an illegitimate goal, scored in a penalty shoot-out at the National Sports Stadium.

The contentious third penalty converted by Namibia’s Dynamos Fredricks, where he stopped and feinted after having completed his run and then coolly slotted past goalkeeper Herbert Rusawo, was outlawed by the rules and regulations governing world football ahead of the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

The footage of that penalty was sent to the International Football Associations Board, the sole authorities when it comes to the crafting of laws and regulations governing world football, who provided an analysis that supported the Zimbabwe position that referee Sibandze and his assistant Mbingo should have disallowed that effort and noted it down as a missed penalty.

“As you know from our previous correspondence, The IFAB does not comment on the correctness or otherwise of referee decisions as that is not our role or responsibility,” IFAB technical director David Elleray exclusively told The Herald.

“However, we are always happy to provide guidance as to the interpretation and application of the Laws of the Game.

“In this respect in the Laws of the Game 2017 /18, Law 14 states that it is an offence if the kicker ‘feints to kick the ball once the kicker has completed the run-up (feinting during the run up is permitted) . . .This Law is applicable in Kicks From the Penalty Mark (KFPM) (Law 10).

“The guidance is that once the kicker has arrived at the ball the run-up is completed and if the kicker then feints to kick then this is an offence punishable by a caution (YC — Yellow Card) and an Indirect Free kick (for a penalty in normal time) and the kick being declared ‘missed’ in Kicks from the Penalty Mark.

“This is regardless of the outcome of the kick (until the changes for 2016 /17) if the penalty was ‘illegally’ scored then it was retaken, but the philosophy now is that the player knows he/she cannot feint at the end of the run so if he/she does so they forfeit the kick and get a YC (Yellow Card).”

Caf’s suspension of the two Swazi match officials who were expected to apply the rules and regulations and disallow the Namibians’ effort, vindicate the position that the Warriors were given a raw deal that afternoon.

And yet on Friday, Sibandze will return to stare the Warriors in face probably for the first time since the 2017 debacle, something that could torch sad emotions.