The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has suspended referee Allan Simukonda for poor officiating.
According to a statement by FAZ Communications Manager, Sydney Mungala made available to the ZamFoot Crew, Simukonda has been suspended for his below par performance during a Week 26 MTN Super League match involving Nkana Football Club and Mufulira Wanderers.
Simukonda failed to award Mufulira Wanderers two penalties according to a report from the Technical and Match review committee of the Referees department.
He has been banished from officiating any matches until the end of the season.
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT: FAZ SUSPENDS ANOTHER REFEREE FOR POOR PERFOMANCE
Press Statement
(For Immediate Release)
Football Association of Zambia
Football House, Lusaka
6th March, 2025
FAZ SUSPENDS REFEREE SIMUKONDA FOR POOR OFFICIATING
Following a recommendation from the Technical and Match Review committee, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has suspended referee Allan Simukonda for his below par performance during a Week 26 MTN Super League match involving Nkana Football Club and Mufulira Wanderers.
The match ended 1-0 in favour of Nkana Football Club.
FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga says the Association will take a hardline stance on poor officiating to sustain the credibility of the game.
“Two video clips in which you failed to award two penalties to Mufulira Wanderers FC in the game they played Nkana FC on Sunday 2 March 2025 in a week 26 fixture were forwarded to the Technical and Match review committee of the Referees department,” reads part of the report from panel of experts.
“The report from their video analysis basing on the CAF models of clip analysis points to the conclusion that you the referee Allan Simukonda failed to award two penalties to Mufulira Wanderers FC. Your failure to award those two penalties changed the outcome of the match.”
The errant referee has been banished from officiating any matches until of the season.
Kamanga says FAZ expected a lot from match officials especially with the season at a critical stage where promotions and demotions are being decided.
“We hope that these decisions will send the right message to our match officials. We are investing a lot in training them as you saw a few weeks ago we brought FIFA to train 40 referees in VAR as part of our commitment to improving the quality of match officiating,” he says.
“Even as we are meting out punishment, we are more focused in capacitating the match officials to ensure that we present a good image of our game.”
Simukonda joins Joseph Kalunga who was suspended for the rest of the season for poor officiating.
For and on behalf of:
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA
Sydney Mungala
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Kudos to faz for this deserving and swift action you have taken! That referee’s officiating raised eyebrows. Mighty was a better side that day and could have won than that game had it not been for poor and biased refeering! This is progressive and acting as detering move for any erring would be official