CRFA Slaps Green Rangers with MK2.2 Million for assaulting Referee, risk expulsion from League

Central Region Football Association hands down hefty fines and suspensions following violent incidents during Pyramid FC match

The Central Region Football Association (CRFA) has imposed severe sanctions on Green Rangers Football Club following violent incidents during their match against Pyramid FC on August 19, 2025, including a record K2.2 million fine and the threat of expulsion from the league.

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In a damning verdict delivered on August 29, CRFA’s Competitions Committee found Green Rangers guilty on three counts of misconduct, including assault on match officials and accredited football reporters during the Chipiku Stores Premier Division fixture.

The heaviest individual punishment fell on Green Rangers player Chikondi Lihuhu Junior (Jersey 41), who has been suspended from playing association football for the entire 2025 season after leading the assault on match officials. The club was additionally fined K1.5 million for this incident.

“Such conduct is a grave violation of the spirit of football and undermines the authority of referees,” stated CRFA General Secretary Antonio Manda in the official judgment.

Team Manager Receives Five-Year Ban

In an unprecedented move, Green Rangers team manager Toshiba Mhango has been handed a five-year suspension from all football activities under CRFA jurisdiction. Mhango was found guilty of not only participating in violence against accredited football reporters but also abetting the overall misconduct.

“Team Manager, who is expected to serve as a role model and guardian to his players, instead participated in and abetted acts of violence,” the verdict stated. The club received an additional K700,000 fine for the assault on media personnel.

Green Rangers now face the ultimate sanction – expulsion from the league – if they fail to pay the combined K2.2 million fine before their next official fixture. The club has already acknowledged responsibility for the incidents in an official response dated August 25, 2025.

“Any party dissatisfied with the ruling has 48 hours from receipt of the judgment to appeal, though this requires payment of a K1 million appeals fee.

“The CRFA Competitions Committee strongly condemned the violent acts, emphasizing that “football must be a sport of respect, discipline, and fair play.” The association vowed to continue enforcing strict measures to protect referees, media personnel, and all football stakeholders,” reads part of the verdict.

This latest incident has cast a dark shadow over the Central Region’s premier football competition, with authorities sending a clear message that violence has no place in the beautiful game.