GWERU – A Zimbabwean man will spend the next 23 years in jail after being convicted by a High Court judge on charges of killing an assistant referee who tried to disallow a goal during a social soccer match.

Thirty-three year old Onismo Muruvi Fichani of the Joboringo area under Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe South struck assistant referee Isaac Mbofana with a log once on the head after he had disallowed a goal scored from an offside position.

High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva, sitting in the Gweru circuit, convicted Fichani of murder with actual intent and sentenced him to 23 years in prison. The judge considered a stiffer penalty but considered that the accused had paid 25 out of the 38 cattle demanded by the deceased’s family as compensation.

It was the state’s case that on October 18, 2012 villagers assembled a social soccer team which they named Tank 3 to play against Hotline Football club. The two teams engaged Mbofana as an assistant referee for the match played at Joboringo Primary School.

During the match both teams scored a goal in the first half and went to half-time tied. During the second half of the match, Tank 3 scored a second goal and Mbofana raised his flag to indicate that the player was in an offside position.

However, the match referee, Cuthbert Zimbabwe, allowed the goal to stand. The match continued and later ended 2-1 in favour of Tank 3, the team that Fichani was supporting. It was then that Fichani charged towards Mbofana for attempting to disallow the goal.

Fichani struck the deceased once on the head with a log. Mbofana collapsed and died on the spot.

The matter was reported to the police leading to his arrest.