Affectionately known as 'Bibo', Makola was charged with misconduct and assault after he allegedly assaulted whistle-man, Abongile Tom, during a charged-up Telkom Knockout Last 16 clash between the Citizens and Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium on October 19. He's now facing six months without kicking a ball in an official match, pending their anticipated appeal, effectively rendering his 2019/20 season over!
As a matter of fact, I need to say it upfront that I don't condone Makola's uncharacteristic behaviour on the day. So much that I couldn't believe it when Tom only flashed a yellow card for his unsporting behaviour. Bibo, deep down, knows that he got away with murder as he was supposed to be sent packing for an early shower straight away! He had no further part to play in that game after pushing the Cape Town-based referee, leading him to lose his balance. If Tom was consistent with the application and interpretation of the Laws of the Game, Makola would have walked immediately after that shove. That would possibly have been the end of this fiasco, but he failed to execute his duties diligently and even went on to report Makola's actions as "misconduct" in his match report, which clearly meant that the referee saw no need for further action to be taken against the former Orlando Pirates and Free State Stars skilful midfielder.
That lack of consistency in the application of the Laws of the Game is the bone of contention and the reason behind the ongoing pointing of fingers and accusations. City feel there's a vendetta against their team and player, following their failed attempts to have charges instituted against the culprits who brutally injured two of their key players, Thabo Nodada and Roland Putsche, on review, without any luck. The same committee that handed a heavy ban on Makola felt "The referee's decision is final," according to City, and therefore saw no need to further pursue the two infringements, notwithstanding the fact that the two players were forced to miss the whole season thanks to the career-threatening injuries that went unpunished. Now, when you look at the application and the consistency, can you really blame City for using the two players' plight to justify their case?
Can you really blame City for feeling hard done by and let down by the rulers of the game? The consequences of those two injuries impacted both the players and the club significantly but there was, unfortunately and disappointingly no retribution. If there was an opportunity to send a strong message in our football, it would be on dealing with brutal tackles that manifest themselves more regularly and threatening the careers of our professional players, inflicted by their opponents, on the field of play. That's something that needs urgent attention, but it doesn't seem important enough, as it continues to spiral out of control, with either a yellow card or a talking-to deemed enough action. No wonder players are not scared or even reluctant to make these reckless and, sometimes over-the-top, tackles on the opposition because they know they are more likely to get away with them. If there was consistency in the application of the Laws of the Game, there would be no grey areas in our game and that's one thing that the match officials need to understand.
Willard Katsande's career-threating and "thuggish behaviour" against Fortune Makaringe in the recent league Soweto Derby was another case in point. The Zimbabwean international was robbed of a place in the Derby history of players who took an early shower when he only got away with a yellow card after almost sending Makaringe to hospital and even ending his season. Why did Thando Ndzandzeka not send Katsande off in the 10th minute of the game, instead of just showing him a yellow when he displayed no intention to play the ball at all? Was it because it was 'still early into the derby' and therefore the middleman didn't want to upset the applecart? Is anything going to be done about that incident, in retrospect? Absolutely not! It is all done and forgotten about and we are on to the next one. Then you wonder why people complain and question the level of officiating in our League. There are so many other examples of match officials allowing players to get away with murder for different reasons, leading to the general public not to be sure when Laws are applicable or not.
Once again, no one believes Makola covered himself in glory and therefore doesn't deserve punishment. He is guilty and he knows it, which is why he is said to have shown remorse and even apologised to the referee straight after the game. That's a clear indication that he takes responsibility for his actions. The outcry on his punishment is about the consistency or lack thereof, having seen even worse offences that were left unpunished. That's where the biggest problem lies and that's what needs to be addressed. Consistency is key. Players will always act like kids – the more you let them get away with stuff, the more they will continue to push the boundaries. If you stick to the rules, firmly, they know the repercussions of their possible actions even before they act them out. That way, everyone is on the same page and there are no grey areas. That's what we need and demand from our match officials and powers that be when dealing with these cases.
