Gotal blames referee after Mighty Warriors’ humiliation by Malawi

Mighty Warriors coach Stella Gotal has somewhat blamed the referee following her side’s heavy 7-0 defeat to Malawi in the Olympics qualifier at the National Sports Stadium on Tuesday, with the result raising questions about her pedigree.

The Zimbabwe women’s national team endured a humiliating afternoon against their neighbours, suffering a seven-goal defeat that dashed their hopes of booking a place at the global sporting spectacle slated for July 2028 in the United States. 

Zimbabwe subsequently lost the tie 9-0 on aggregate, following the 2-0 defeat to the Scorchers in the first leg in Malawi. 

Gotal pointed to the referee’s decisions as a major concern, suggesting that the match officials played a role in how the contest unfolded.

“Usually I don’t speak about the referees but the first goal that they scored, maybe there was a potential free kick for us, and maybe there was a potential goal for us,” Gotal told journalists after the game.

“On the other hand, there was a counter-attack against us and we conceded a goal.

“We even scored a goal and I have to check on the video what really happened because the referee whistled that it’s not a goal so she cancelled the goal.

“Somehow those details affect the team because mentally, when you concede a goal then score and the goal is cancelled. So instead of getting into a positive mood, we got affected,” added Gotal. 

Zimbabwe versus Malawi at the National Sports Stadium. Picture by Fanzone

For Gotal and her technical team, attention will now turn to assessing what went wrong and preparing the team to respond in their next assignment.

While the coach’s criticism of the referee is likely to attract attention, the Mighty Warriors will need to find answers on the pitch after conceding seven goals against their regional rivals.

RELATED STORY: Sports science key to Mighty Warriors potential success, says Stella Gotal