YA boss draws Blue Waters’ ire over match-fixing allegations
Young African founder and coach Maleagi Ngarizemo denies assaulting a match official but maintains that Blue Waters influenced the outcome of their Debmarine Namibia Premiership clash at Walvis Bay on Saturday.
The match ended 3-1 in favour of Blue Waters, who took exception to Ngarizemo’s allegations of match manipulation.
Ngarizemo, who was red-carded for verbally abusing the head referee, claims the match officials made several dubious calls which contributed to the defeat of the title-chasing YA, who lie three points off top spot.
He also rubbished reports that he man-handled the referee at the end of the match. However, the league’s administrator, Mabos Vries, yesterday confirmed that the incident is contained in the match commissioner’s report.
“Yes, the incident is in the report submitted with us [the league]. We will study the details and try to establish what transpired through all the parties involved, after which we can take a position on the matter,” Vries said.
Ngarizemo vehemently denied he had assaulted the referee when contacted for comment on Tuesday.
“That’s pure nonsense,” Ngarizemo’s said.
“I have never done that as a player, neither as a coach. So, that’s nonsense. Yes, there was a robust confrontation after the match and I got a red card for that, we moved on.”
Ngarizemo claims his outburst was sparked by him witnessing what he believes to have been collusion between match officials and senior Blue Waters officials at the stadium.
He said the “assault story” was fabricated by Blue Waters to cover-up their influence on match officials. Ngarizemo alleged that a former chairperson of Blue Waters was appointed as the head of referees in the country “just to make sure their team survives”.
“They were all over the referees. I found them together at the dressing room; they walked out together from the dressing room,” Ngarizemo said.
“People must stop talking of things they can’t prove, I will sue them. They must bring proof of what they say, not a report that is drafted by those that push such agendas.”
BASELESS ACCUSATIONS
In response, Blue Waters strongly rejected Ngarizemo’s allegations, saying he was a sore loser who lacks sportsmanship.
“Blue Waters Sport Club would in the strongest terms like to condemn allegations of match-fixing and referee tampering. We would subsequently like to reiterate our commitment to fair play and transparency,” Blue Waters chairperson Mathias Haufiku says in statement.
“This is nothing but sour grapes from someone who did not get the results he wanted. Ngarizemo must be reminded that no team has a monopoly when it comes to winning,” Haufiku continues.
“Baseless accusations such as these brings the name and integrity of our team into serious disrepute and we do not take it lightly.
“As a seasoned football guru, we hold Ngarizemo in high regards, but his accusations must be challenged because they not only damage the reputation of our club, but Namibian football as well.
“As far as Blue Waters is concerned, none of our former chairpersons have been appointed to chair the Namibia Football Association’s referee portfolio, in fact it is public knowledge that Erastus Shilunga is the incumbent chairman of referees in Namibia,” Haufiku says.
The Blue Waters chairperson called on the authorities to call Ngarizemo to order and demands that he formally take up his grievance with league authorities.
Failure to do so would result in unspecified consequences for Ngarizemo, Haufiku warns.
“We, therefore, challenge Ngarizemo to provide concrete evidence of any referee-tempering plan orchestrated by Blue Waters FC, if not, we will be left with no choice but to seek available remedies to protect our professional integrity, built for over 89 years,” says Haufiku, who acknowledges that his team has struggled this season.
FAIRNESS AND SPORTSMANSHIP
Blue Waters are presently 11th in the 16-team division, having won only four of their 21 matches thus far. They have 12 draws, the most by any club in the top division, and five losses which leaves them nine points from safety with nine matches to go.
The club has changed coaches twice this season in a bid to remedy their indifferent form.
“Following our poor start in the Debmarine Namibia Premiership, we premised our focus on fixing our internal affairs, ranging from an administration and technical point of view to improve our performance on the field,” says Haufiku.
“Despite several questionable decisions going against us in the past, we have never questioned the integrity of any of our opponents or match officials, it will remain as such,” he maintains.
“Blue Waters has always cherished the ideals of fairness and sportsmanship, whether we win or lose. Therefore, we will not stoop so low to even consider football corruption in our bid to survive relegation.
“We have been relegated before, thus, if our performances are not up-to standard and we happen to be relegated – now or in the future – we would rather fight our way back into the league instead of compromising the beautiful game through clandestine schemes.”
The purported attack goes against Namibia Football Association president Robert Shimooshili’s call to end abuse of match officials by officials and fans.
This follows similar cases of referee battery last year when Shimooshili said match officials need to be protected and be able to go about their duties in a safe environment.
“We cannot tolerate insults, threats, and harassment against our referees any longer,” Shimooshili said during the CAF Safety and Security Workshop held in Windhoek mid-August last year.
“We must protect our referees, players, sponsors, guests, spectators, and ourselves. Zero tolerance for security threats at our stadiums is our goal.”
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