The officiating of referee Roderick Nga’ndu on Saturday raised eyebrows of many people, after giving out three penalties in a Zambia Super league match entailing Zanaco and Zesco United at National Heroes Stadium, in Lusaka.
Two penalties were given to Zesco United, converted by Kenyan striker, Jackson Jesse Were, and one to Zanaco, taken by Augustine Mulenga.
In modern day football, penalties are hard to come by and when a referee give them easly; with betting syndicates filtering inn Zambian league football, it will always raise eyebrows.
Especially for someone like Roderick Nga’ndu, always on the focal point of controversies.
Last year, he was entailed in a saga with Nchanga Rangers officials–in a case that never saw light of the day as the fines and life ban shoved down the throats of the accused were lifted after an appeal.
Such stories do not make good archives for a refere eyeing to officiate on a much bigger stage as the Africa Cup of the Nations, CAF Champions league and the FIFA World Cup.
History has shone us some of the worst referees. Top of the bill is the Ghanian, Joseph Lamptey–who was handed a life ban by FIFA for match manipulating.
Lamptey awarded South Africa a fake penalty against Senegal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, something that has made FIFA to order for a replay.
A Senegalese referee, Badala Séne deprived Burkina Faso a World Cup spot in 2014, denying them a clear goal against Algeria in Blida.
Lucien Bourchardeau and Lee Kim Chong were some of the referees who were victimised and suspended for collecting bribes in the 90s.
Divine Evehe, the Cameroonian referee who officiated in the semifinals of the 2006 AFCON, in a match involving Egypt against Sénégal denied the latter an evident penalty after pointing to the spot initially before rescinding his decision.
Roderick Nga’ndu should seriously look himself in the mirror, lest he want to join the list of the aforementioned worst referees in African Football.
