SUNDOWNS’ JIM KNOWLEDGE’S ZIMBABWEAN LINGO IRKS REF

MBABANE – World football governing body FIFA allows French and English inside the field of play but any other language can get a player in trouble.

Manzini Sundowns’ Zimbabwean goalkeeper Jim Knowledge was nearly in for it last Sunday at Somhlolo National Stadium during their MTN League thriller with Mbabane Swallows. Knowledge, who is a former Swallows keeper, is alleged to have spoken a language foreign to referee Celumusa Sphepho. “It was a case of mixed language as Jim speaks English and Shona which is one of the languages used in Zimbabwe,” said Red Lions CEO Comfort Shongwe, who was present when the match official, in the presence of his colleagues, scolded the keeper before he let him back in the field. Sparking it all was Knowledge’s time wasting techniques from the first whistle. One would be prompted to conclude they had come to get at least a point. Time-wasting techniques in football usually apply when one team is leading and seeking to protect that and get the full points.

It’s not limited to that as you can apply it to cool down a game or if you are out to get a point – smaller teams do it against sides they know that beating them would just be by mere luck. Knowledge got warned by the referee in the 25th minute for time-wasting. Football laws give goalkeepers a maximum six seconds before restarting play in goal kick situations but can be slightly more as the referee also uses his discretion. He escaped without a caution despite continuing with it after a while. The referee could not be fooled as he let him go to the break but did not allow him back in the pitch without having a word with him. As they say that curiosity killed the cat, the matter was investigated further. The conversation took place just at the exit of the tunnels back to the pitch. However, the player denied using a Zimbabwean language but English.

“He was unhappy with the time I was spending on the ball and warned me again as he did in the first half. I never spoke in Shona or foreign language and I apologised to him for taking long before I restarted play during goal kicks,” he explained. After his club’s CEO also consulted him, the former concurred the player was insisting he spoke with the referee in English but admitted the match official was unimpressed. “I’ve spoken with the player and he insists it was English but he was just too fast,” Shongwe explained. The Zimbabwean shot-stopper, who is also former Swallows’ keeper, conceded three late goals to see his team lose 3-1 and remain with a point in nine games. Sources close to the matter have insisted that the referee told them it was not French nor English  the player spoke as he did not understand a word. However, it was established during investigations that the incident did not go into the match officials’ books as it was amicably resolved just before the second half started. PLS COO Pat Vilakati said they were yet to receive all reports when called yesterday about the incident.

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