The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) Operations and Management Committee has suspended referee Heri Sasii for six months for failing to properly officiate the Premier League match between Simba and Singida Black Stars, which was played on May 28 at the KMC Complex stadium.
According to a statement issued by the Committee, Sasii received the punishment after making numerous decisions that indicated a failure to correctly interpret the 17 Laws of the Game.
The punishment is in accordance with Rule 42:1(1.1) of the Premier League Regulations concerning Referee Conduct.
In that match, Simba won 1-0, but there were three clear incidents where Sasii should have awarded penalties to Singida Black Stars but failed to do so.
Following prolonged complaints from stakeholders, the Committee has finally started suspending referees who do not officiate according to the 17 Laws of the Game.
However, some may argue that these punishments have come too late, as some teams have already significantly benefited from refereeing errors.
Had the punishments been imposed earlier, some referees might have been suspended sooner and would not have had the opportunity to continue favoring those teams.
