Unforgiving Tusker coach Robert Matano tears into referee, calls for his expulsion

Robert Matano confronts referee David Mulongo. Photo credit || Sports Eye Sports

FKFPL Unforgiving Tusker coach Robert Matano tears into referee, calls for his expulsion

Mark Kinyanjui 11:40 - 11.12.2023

Matano lambasted referee David Mulongo for his standard of officiating, swearing never to “forgive him” for his decisions and describing him as not competent enough to “even referee a Talanta Hela match".

Tusker head coach Robert Matano has torn into referee David Mulongo for his officiating during their 0-0 draw with Posta Rangers in an FKFPL match played at the Ruaraka Grounds on Sunday.

Tusker created the better chances on the afternoon in attempts to win the game, making Posta Rangers second best, but had a couple of decisions made against them, such as a handball by Posta inside the box he refused to rule as a penalty in favor of the brewers.

This sent the Tusker players and staff incandescent, and Matano even found himself booked for giving Mulongo an earful.

Speaking to the media after the match, Matano castigated the referee, accusing him of incompetence by making decisions in favor of Posta and describing his performance as the “poorest” he had ever seen.

“Very poor, the poorest!” Matano scoffed.

“I have never seen a referee like this Mlongo. Useless referee! How comes everyone sees, one person cannot see! Penalty, three of them, why!?

“We came here to play. Posta Rangers will top the league. This is how they top the league by being favored? That is not football!

“I have lost many matches but I did not complain, but this one is obvious robbery. Direct. This referee is poor and he does it purposefully. It is not like he does not know what he is doing if you read his mind.”

Matano has called for Mulongo to be expelled from football while heaping praising on celebrated Kenyan referee Peter Kamaku.

“This one should be suspended, even to be expelled. He has no room officiating football. He is killing football! He killed the spirit of the players!

“We are working hard to win but he is coming here like he is bribed or what do we say? He makes sure that we cannot win. Posta Rangers did not get even a single chance. Even one.

“We played AFC Leopards in Machakos and I saw referee Kamaku. Superb referee. We drew but we saw what happened, but these kind of referees who come with thick minds, the get little money they change their minds and want to favor the opponents, that is not the way. I know him.”

The 59-year-old tactician has revealed that clubs like Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards would have ensured that Mulongo’s life would be difficult after the game, saying that Tusker would “never bother” to file a complaint against the referee.

“Tusker is like that, they will never bother. Suppose it was AFC or Gor Mahia? This referee can leave this field. They take advantage of other teams but they are killing others. They are killing our spirits.

He also accused Mulongo of not being good enough to “even referee a Talanta Hela game”.

“I have been in this ball many years. I don’t usually complain about referees. I played football, I coached football for many years. I done it  everything, so I cannot come here and complain when there is no football?

“This is a big problem. Big one. This referee is not supposed to officiate any match. Even this Talanta Hela, he is unfit to be there! How can you promote football? We say fair play.

“Give chance to team which is up? When you are on top it is your advantage. You should be given an advantage, but don’t be denied! Three penalties ! What do you say? 

“This one I will never forgive him!”

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