Officials, players shouldn’t bet on matches they’re involved in

A few weeks ago, the Sofapaka head coach Sam Ssimbwa was an agitated man. His team was playing Bandari Football Club and towards the end of the match, on the 88th minute to be precise, Bandari’s Anthony Wambani went down in the box in a sensational dive.

The referee quickly pointed to the penalty spot to the chagrin of Sofapaka. The tried to argue otherwise but the referee’s decision was final. The penalty was slotted home by rookie midfielder Wilberforce Lugogo.

The goal sent Sofapaka into a crazed frenzy and in added time, Charles Okwemba’s thunderbolt ensured that they shared the spoils.

The match ended in a one all draw but the damage had already been done and Sofapaka players, officials and the handful of fans were feeling cheated by match officials.

Such things do happen in football many times but Ssimba was having none of it. It was too obvious to him that the referee was the cause of the fake award to Bandari.

The fuming coach went ahead and accused the match officials of gambling on the results of the matches they officiate in and thus try to influence the results in favour of the side they gambled upon to win a tie!

The fuming coach spoke out loud after the match saying: “What was that? How do you explain a circumstance where a referee gives a penalty in a situation where there is absolutely no contact?

Some of these referees place bets on these matches, that’s the only explanation for what I witnessed against Bandari, refs should always be neutral and not make decisions that favour some teams!”

Now, we may dismiss Ssimbwa’s comment as that coming from a coach who is sore to have conceded in a match.

We expect that the Kenya Premier League managers may call upon him to substantiate his claims that may bring the game into disrepute. Silence from those quarters is deafening. The referees association too has not raised its loud voice to defend themselves from Ssimbwa’s bizarre allegation.

Several times in this column, we have tried with confidence of ignorance to warn about the same situation where referees place bets in order to win and many wrote back accusing us of creating problems where none existed.

Here now an agitated coach has blurted out the same suspicion and it could yet be true. These things have happened even in Europe where the game and gambling married each other many years ago.

There was a goalkeeper who placed a hefty bet that his team would concede two goals in the match. He allowed those two goals towards the end of the match in quick suspicious succession!

Another culprit placed a bet that he would get a red card at the 72nd minute.

He did get at the exact time when out of the blues, he kicked another player right in front of the umpire! Both of them were arrested when they went to pick their winnings.

In those countries, it is possible to trace where someone’s money came from and the taxman is very sharp and serious with those who fail to pay their dues.

In our country it is very difficult to know just who placed and won a bet. It is next to impossible just to arrest someone because of conflict of interest as is the case with our referees.

We thus know that the phenomenon shall still go on and our talk shall remain to be mere speculation. A voice in the wilderness that is heard by all but heeded by none!

Betting in Kenya is getting more popular. Days ago some lad scooped up some Sh200 million from betting and as it is in our country, people have already come out of the woodworks claiming all kinds of relations with him.

His winning has set up the bar and our referees must also be tempted to get the gazillions. We cannot stop them from trying their luck but we must prevail upon them never to bet in matches that they take part in.