Zimbabwean referee suspended for substandard performance

Zimbabwean referee Rusununguko Mutero has been banned from officiating any football game in the country for his substandard handling of a recent elite league match.

The Zimbabwe Football Association confirmed the punishment of the referee following a review of his performance during a recent Castle Lager Premier Soccer League game involving Green Fuel FC and FC Platinum.

“The match commissioner’s report highlighted that Mr Mutero’s officiating fell short of the required standards, thereby constituting a breach of paragraph 12 of Referees’ Code of Conduct,” reads the statement.

Mutero’s is the latest casualty of ZIFA’s tough stance over poor officiating. The association also cracked the whip on referees Lloyd Mapanje, Grace Gimo and assistant referee Claris Simango for unsatisfactory handling of different PSL games in June 2025.

The association says the referees’ performance was found to be below the required standard.

ZIFA says it arrived at the disciplinary measures against the three match officials “following assessments of their recent performance during the Premier League fixtures.”

The sanctions against the three brings to six the number of referees penalised this season alone.

👇 Stay Connected with Pan-Africa Football 👇
Instagram:   / panafricafooty  
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PanAfricaFooty
Facebook:   / panafricafootball