Mitundu Baptist and Namitete Zitha, two teams from Malawi’s Central Region, have voiced strong complaints about officiating during their recent NBS Bank National Division League matches in the North. Both clubs allege that referees favored the home teams, impacting their results.
On Saturday, Mitundu Baptist traveled to Rumphi Stadium to face Chintheche United, while Namitete Zitha visited Chilumba Barracks at Karonga Stadium.
Mitundu Baptist suffered their second defeat of the season, losing 3-1 to Chintheche United. This loss cost them their first-place standing in the league. Precious Phiri, Mitundu’s team manager, expressed frustration with Northern Region referees, claiming they consistently favor home sides.
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“I don’t know what’s happening, but it seems the North isn’t a good place for traveling sides,” Phiri stated. “When we played Baka City, the same officiating issues occurred, and it happened again today.”
Meanwhile, Namitete Zitha mounted a comeback from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Chilumba Barracks in Karonga, denying the home side their first win of the season. However, Richard Fosiko of Zitha criticized the officiating, specifically a decision that disallowed their potential winning goal due to an alleged offside.
“I don’t know if this happens to other teams, but officiating has been against us,” Fosiko lamented. “Today, the referee made some incorrect decisions, and our third goal was denied, but I don’t know where the offside came from.”
These complaints echo similar grievances from other teams in the league. Both Mitundu Baptist and Namitete Zitha have previously raised concerns about officiating, with Baka City, Jenda United, Red Lions, and Ntaja United also reporting similar problems.
Following the weekend’s matches, Mitundu Baptist has dropped to second place in the league table with 12 points from four wins and two defeats, trailing leaders Red Lions by three points. Namitete Zitha sits in fourth position with 11 points from three wins, two draws, and one defeat.
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