CAF to decide on referee Msiska’s trip

Fifa referee Grace Msiska has an air ticket for this Wednesday’s trip to Madagascar on international duty, but now she is not guaranteed of travelling after failing a fitness test on Sunday.

Msiska went into the test at Kamuzu Stadium as the sole competitor for Fifa rated women referees, but with two laps to the finish, she dropped out due to exhaustion.

“With an air ticket in the bag, this might have piled the pressure on me. I rarely fail, but when I got into the 10th lap, I could not just carry on. Whether I travel, depends on how soon the results of the test will be sent,” said a relaxed Msiska at the stadium.

Now, the prospect of the otherwise hard working woman travelling to officiate the islanders’ All Africa Games qualifying match against Botswana this Sunday depends on the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which sent Msiska the air ticket.

National physical fitness instructor MoffatChampiti, who conducted the test alongside Bester Kalombo, Charles Kafatiya and the Southern Region Referees Committee chairperson Alfred Chasowa, confirmed that Msiska’s trip hangs in the balance.

“I sent the results to CAF immediately after the tests. When there is limited time before a referees’ assignment as is her case, CAF sometimes allows you to officiate and drop you afterwards. However, rules are clear that you cannot officiate local and international games after failing a test,” Champiti said.

Other referees collapsed in heaps on the sun-baked afternoon during the Southern Region test which registered an estimated 85 percent pass rate. Women assistant referees contestants Happiness Mbandambanda and Bernadetter Kwimbira Mzika both passed.

Each referee was supposed to complete the mandatory 12 laps each stretching 150 metres, in a prescribed time of 35 seconds. This was preceded by six laps each stretching 40 metres to be covered in six seconds and 6.2 seconds as prescribed times for males and females respectively.

There were 20 competitors in men’s category which had Andy Kuseli failing the test alongside Harry Bitrinyo, Hendrix Makumbi and Mark Dzimbasweka. The men’s 37-member male assistant referees’ category had casualties such as Henry Belo, Lesley Kuchilunda and Peter Banda.