Retired FIFA Referee Cornelius Mwanza has declared that he doubts whether bribing of match officials exist on the local soccer front.
The Kalulushi-based referee officiated for 17 years before retiring in 2009.
He said during his time as a referee he never encountered any bribery incident.
Mwanza, who is now a match commissioner, however, acknowledged that referees globally are usually suspected of being bribed by home teams.
“After officiating for 17 years I have never come across any incident of bribery involving referees, including my self when he was a referee,” he stated.
“But all of us have been suspicious over issues of bribery because all teams that play at home try by all means to win games,” he said.
Mwanza further urged fans in the county to learn football rules so that they do not unnecessarily accuse match officials of being biased.
He noted that some fans dispute referees decisions as a result of not understanding rules of the game.
Mwanza has since appealed to the Football Association of Zambia and clubs to help supporters have access to new football rules in the best interest of the game in the country.
