Mussa leads Zim cast on CAF duty
VETERAN administrator Sharif Mussa’s star continues to shine at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), where he has been handling the match general coordinator’s role with distinction.
Today he will headline a cast of Zimbabweans that will officiate in a Confederation Cup tie in Ndola, Zambia.
The former Warriors manager, who has been receiving various assignments from CAF since May 2018, including those involving national teams, will be at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola for the Confederation Cup Group D encounter between hosts Nkana and Namungo of Tanzania.
Nkana hope a home win this afternoon will bring them back into contention for the quarter-finals.
Morocco’s perennial African football campaigners, Raja Casablanca, intend to keep their perfect record in a tough clash against Pyramids FC in Cairo in another Group D game tonight.
The other Zimbabwean on CAF duty in Ndola will be Rusape referee Brighton Chimene, who, just like Mussa, has been on the road.
He will take charge of the encounter and will have Luckson Mhara and Tafadzwa Nkala as the first and second assistants respectively, while Lawrence Zimondi will be the fourth official.
Mussa’s task is to ensure this afternoon’s encounter goes ahead smoothly.
“It is always a humbling experience to be picked from among a crop of very good administrators at home and around the continent for such tasks.
“I am just grateful to CAF for continuing to see value in me, placing their confidence in me and providing an opportunity to serve the game at continental level, and ensure our matches go ahead without any glitches,’’ Mussa said.
Although he was not the coordinator when the Warriors hosted Zambia in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the National Sports Stadium on March 29, Mussa was on hand to assist the man who had been sent by CAF to handle the task — Ali Mwebe of Uganda.
The demanding general coordinator’s role — for which ZIFA communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela is also part of — involves, among other tasks that are outlined by FIFA, “painstaking attention to detail, combined with to-the-second timing of the different stages before a match”.
The coordinator is also supposed to always ensure nothing is left to chance, from the location of the morning meetings to the colours of the shirts, including doping controls and “procedure at the moment of the teams’ entry onto the pitch”.
“Every aspect is carefully planned, including possible emergency situations,’’ says FIFA on its website.
Mussa has also been to a number of countries, including Angola and Egypt, for similar tasks, while Gwesela was recently in Madagascar for a final AFCON qualifier between the Indian Ocean islanders and Niger, which ended 0-0.
Despite Zimbabwe’s representatives FC Platinum having failed to secure a place in the group stages of the Confederation Cup after initially being knocked out of the Champions League, Chimene has been ensuring there is a Zimbabwean flavour in the competitions.
Since the start of the year, he has been on the road, officiating at a host of matches, including games involving Forest Rangers against Bouenguidi FC, NAPSA Stars’ clash against Ngazi Club De Mistonry and Orlando Pirates’ tie against Jwaneng Galaxy.
He was also in charge when Kaizer Chiefs revived their Champions League hopes with a clash against Primero de Agusto in Angola.
Chimene has been asserting himself since 2019 when first included on the CAF referees’ panel.
“I thank God for the opportunity and I will keep on doing well, and not disappoint those that have confidence in me, including our national association (ZIFA),’’ he said.
For today’s match in Ndola, Chimene and his assistants were called in by CAF as late replacements for Burkina Faso referee Jean Ouattara and crew after complications arose with their travel to Zambia.