NRC bans unqualified referees

National Referees Committee (NRC) has banned unqualified from handling lower leagues matches.

NRC has said unqualified referees  should not officiate matches in Simama, Chipiku or Masters Security leagues as was the case in the past.

Chairman of NRC Patrick Kapanga said this on Sunday to a gathering of referees who were attending this year’s last quarter of referees’ physical fitness test at Mzuzu stadium that attracted 63 referees from all districts in the North.

“From now onwards all so called referees who have not passed this fitness test are now not eligible to officiate any game in our regional leagues of Simama, Chipiku and Masters Security leagues,” he said.

“To you who didn’t manage to make it today don’t lose hope there is always next time so keep working to improve your fitness.”

Kapanga also applauded women who passed the test saying the number of female referees is increasing.

Commenting on the directive, Northern Region Football Association (NFRA) Vice chairperson Felix Mbonekela Msiska  said it is a sad development because they cannot afford to have qualified referees at every match since some teams are based in remote areas.

“The money for administration is already low and we cannot manage to transport referees to some rural areas like Hewe in Rumphi and some parts of Mzimba and Karonga, it is a long distance since the qualified referees are mainly from Mzuzu, so it is a sad development to us,” said Msiska.

Mbonekela Msiska who is also a competition chairman for the North however said the association will find means to cope with the referees’ decision.

Among the 63 referees who participated in the test, six were women four of whom managed to pass.

All 31 referees from Mzuzu city passed the test.