In what has been another hectic week for football, the South African Football Association informed us of a SAFA referee that has been arrested for alleged match-fixing.
I am wondering if I should be shocked or say that such action is long overdue.
Until poor officiating and the conduct of some referees is addressed properly, complaints and occurrences of this nature will continue to outshine The Beautiful Game.
I doubt that the issue of refereeing would have needed the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (The Hawks) to intervene had it been handled appropriately by SAFA.
We are waiting to hear the name of the match official who was arrested, as SAFA said he cannot be named until he appears in court.
Be that as it may, I say again, referees must answer to the public and not just to the national panel of referees or referees committee, whatever it is called. The fans, as owners of the game, deserve better from the match officials.
We have seen a number of controversial decisions in the PSL and NFD already this season. Come on guys, as a result of some of these decisions, coaches lose jobs, fans are left disappointed week in and week out, and most of all the image of The Beautiful Game ends up being tarnished in the process.
We all understand that referees are human, just as we are. I am writing about match officials on behalf of the passionate football fans who despite everything, rally behind their teams for the love of the game.
I don't think it is by choice that coaches land themselves in trouble and get hauled in front of disciplinary committees for their comments about referees and their questionable officiating.
Clinton Larsen, one of the South African coaches that has been making notable progress in recent years, has parted ways with Bloemfontein Celtic.
The team had a shaky start to the season under his guidance. Larsen couldn't tolerate anymore in the game against Mamelodi Sundowns earlier this season, feeling that referee, Daniel Volgraaf, could have handled the game better. Larsen then made comments to this effect.
Larsen was later charged by the league, together with his counterpart Steve Komphela of Free State Stars, for the comments they made. Were they wrong? That's an issue for another day.
I recently overheard a footballer telling his friend about an incident where a referee, in an NFD game, allegedly told him that he couldn't award his team a penalty because he had already done so earlier.
Shocking! But I guess we have a global quandary here. Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey made startling claims recently that he and former Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, were "friends" who used to send each other text messages.
I hope we will watch entertaining, non-controversial football matches in the quarter-finals of the Telkom Knockout this weekend.
Orlando Pirates are out of the country for their CAF Champions League game against Esperance of Tunisia. The South Africans are keen to see Bucs repeat what the team of 1995 achieved by winning the prestigious competition.
Let's hope the referees will referee according to the rulebook. Let them give us answers if they don't.
It's all in the name of the beautiful game.
Masebe Qina
Follow Masebe on twitter: @MasebeQina
