FAZ Complains to FIFA Over Referee in Thursdays Defeat

FAZ have officially written to FIFA to complain about Moroccan referee Noureddine El Jaafari’s handling of Thursdays World Cup Group B away qualifier against Equatorial Guinea that Chipolopolo lost 2-0 in Malabo.

El Jaafari sent-off midfielder Prince Mumba in the 25th minute for a foul on Basilo Ndong and then went on to book three Zambian players who included Patson Daka with whom he had run-ins with the entire match.

“Football is about fair play but what we saw today (on Thursday) was completely outside normal football that we all subscribe to,” FAZ president Andrew Kamanga said.

“For the record, we wish to confirm that at halftime we went to see the match commissioner and we actually played the second half under protest, so that too was recorded.

“So even after the second half, we still went back and filed a formal complaint.

“All because we believe that football should be won fairly on the pitch but what we witnessed today was nowhere near there.”

Chipolopolo are third in Group B after suffering their second successive loss on 3 points.

Equatorial Guinea, whom Zambia host in the final leg of their Group B doubleheader this Sunday in Lusaka, are second on 6 points after three games played.

Tunisia lead Group B on maximum 9 points while their hosts on Sunday Mauritania whom they beat 3-0 on Thursday at home in Rades are bottom on zero points heading into match-day-four.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times