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Kenyan referee Zacharia Ashira came to the defense of his Zambian counterpart, Janny Sikazwe, after his performance in the match between Tunisia and Mali at AFCON.
The referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match in the 85th minute, play resumed after the error, only to blew again for Sikazwe's awkward and controversial ending to the AFCON group stage clash before the 90th minute.
He then went on to show El Bilal Touré a straight red card from Mali, rejecting VAR review of the card.
Tunisia outraged by referee decision
Despite the call of the match referee, especially the referee from the Tunisian camp, there was anger and confusion as the time of the match, in which they were defeated 1-0, still ended.
There were two penalties in the second half of the game, two incidents requiring Sikazwe to control the side monitor, and five stoppages for substitutions. Even a cooldown was necessary for the game.
However, according to Kenyan referee Ashira, he added that the Zambian official's credibility should not be judged solely on events, but that he is a chief referee who should be given a second chance.
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Ashira admitted that the scenes from the match would be disturbing as the referees reconsidered.
Despite the end of the match and the players leaving the field, suggestions were made that the last minutes of the match would continue. The financial manager's post-match press conference was interrupted as CAF officials ordered the game to restart and the referee changed for the final three minutes.
While Malian players returned to the field, Tunisia opposed it and the result was unchanged.
Sikazwe hospitalized for heatstroke
All is not well with the Zambian referee after AFCON referee head Essam Abdel-Fatah confirmed to Egyptian media that Sikazwe suffered from heat stroke and 'severe dehydration' during the match, and was subsequently hospitalized in Limbe, Cameroon.
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