...something tells me I'm not going to be able to translate everything into French and Swahili in this, but never mind - I'll try my level best as they say here in Tanzania. (On second thoughts this is turning out rather long so I'm not going to translate any of this one.)
Now, where was I up to? I think I need to cover the last four weeks on placement. Seeing as I left off in the group emails with Euro2004, I'll start off by being smug about my support for Greece throughout the tournament. Smug, smug, smug, smug, smug. Grin. Chuckle. Smug.
Continuing the football theme, we had an excellent, if ever-so-slightly controversial ward league - and the netball was rather good too. Ihalimba rather feebly wimpered out against Nundwe in the netball, and Wami started a fight in their first match against Vikula, only to go through by virtue of Vikula being too scared to play the return leg, thus forfeiting the match. Ugesa, who had SPW volunteers the previous three years, rather strangely don't have a netball team, so that competition was only played as two-legged semis before the final at the ward festival. Wami, basically by virtue of their goal attack being seven foot tall, and Nundwe's goal attack being about three foot tall, went on to win the final 5-2 (which made me rather smug after Hannah's repeated assertions throughout the previous two weeks that the Nundwe netball team consisted entirely of invincible sporting goddesses).
The football, however, was much more exciting. At the initial league meeting, no one (I wasn't there so I can safely lay the blame at other people's door rather than my own - smug, smug, smug, etc, etc, etc) followed the SPW guidelines for setting up sports leagues. Consequently, the two most important issues (researching local rivalries and histories of violence, and drawing up referee timetables) were completely ignored.
It was decided that each village should play their closest two rivals, both at home and away, and then the top two teams would progress to the final. The first matches (on the same day as the Euro2004 final, so I missed them) went smoothly enough, save for the Ihalimba boys and their "our goalkeeper was missing" excuse.
Wami 0-0 Ugesa
Nundwe 2-1 Ihalimba
The following Wednesday, Ihalimba had their keeper back, so much more was expected of them. Especially as my placement partner, Vende, was refereeing our own team's match.
Vikula 0-0 Wami
Ugesa 2-1 Ihalimba
With their two home matches remaining, and the middle Sunday as their day off, the Ihalimba team looked like they would have to pull out all the stops at the death of the tournament to reach the final.
But on the middle Sunday the tournament was turned on its head. With Ugesa playing at home to Wami, and Nundwe at home to Vikula, the finalists could have been all but decided with two days of play remaining.
Ema, Getruda and I were all there to watch the Nundwe vs Vikula match, but we soon realised that there was no referee organised for the match. So, as the only person there not from either Vikula or Nundwe, I was forced to volunteer myself as referee. It did not start on the brightest note. Unaware of Tanzanian village football etiquette at the start of the match, I had to go through those first few moments being directed by a couple of the English-speaking players.
Once the match was underway, however, I felt much more comfortable in my position of authority. The only problem appeared to be that Jofrey and Faulo from Vikula both seemed to be getting slightly upset about the number of times I was blowing the whistle. Apparently it's not necessary in Tanzania to blow the whistle to let the players know that the referee is ready for the free kick/corner/etc is ready to be taken.
As the first half progressed, Nundwe seemed to be the better team, but were unable to create any good chances from which to score, and so the game remained goalless. At the same time, other problems started to raise their heads. Like the linesmen. I had been blessed with the use of one linesman (or referee's assistant as he should be known these days) from each of the two villages, and they were both as crap as each other. If they had something to tell me, they would make frantic gesticulations from the touchline, waving their brightly coloured jumpers over their heads. I suppose I should be grateful that they were trying to fulfil their role, but I never had a clue what they were trying to tell me.
About 25 minutes into the game, Nundwe produced a good move close to goal, and the striker was scythed down mercilessly close to goal. Naturally, I immediately blew my whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. Then someone pointed out to me the lines painted on the ground. The Nundwe pitch had been designed with perhaps the world's longest, yet narrowest penalty box. Despite the incident being only 12 yards from goal, Nundwe should only be awarded a free kick. I conceded the point and the players and crowd allowed me this small mistake. The free kick was lined up, but I couldn't help noticing that the defence's wall was stood only three inches from the ball. I immediately started pacing out the ten yards and finished about two yards from the goalline. The defence looked slightly confused at what this strange white man was doing, so I told them they had to stand where I was stood. This immediately caused a small outburst from both teams, who informed me that the wall, in fact, only had to stand three metres back from the ball at a free kick. This was a new development for me, as I must have missed that particular rule change (Vende later informed me that three metres was, in fact, incorrect - it should have been six). Nevertheless, the game proceeded relatively smoothly, until...
It was on 35 minutes that a decision was made that resulted in a rapid deterioration of the match. Nundwe managed a lightning quick break, which caught out not only the Vikula defence, but also yours truly. However, the through ball was overhit, and the Nundwe striker appeared to foul the Vikula keeper as he gathered the ball. Not having a great view, and seeing that the ball had already gone out of play, I decided it best to first check the goalkeeper was okay, and then to approach the linesman, and make sure he also thought it should be a free kick to Vikula. Before long, however, it became apparent that this was the wrong course of action to take. If I had just given the free kick immediately, no matter how unsure I was, Ihalimba ward would be a much happier place today. The Vikula crowd were up in arms. Why had I not given the free kick? No, it's alright, I am giving the free kick - I just wanted to be sure first, that's all. Why have you not given the free kick? Look, I'm blowing the whistle and pointing in the direction of the free kick. Why have you not given the free kick? I just bloody did - what do you want, two of them? We don't agree with your decisions. Yes, you bloody do, you're just not looking what decision I've given, you eejit!
It was at this point that Jofrey suggested I let someone else take over as referee before a full scale riot broke out. I could help agree, but only if the Nundwe team were also happy with this. They weren't happy, but reluctantly agreed that maybe it was the best decision. The Nundwe team, then, to try and keep the peace, suggested a referee hailing from Vikula. With the help of the players, and of Getruda jumping up and down and trying to keep it light-hearted, we managed to get the crowd back off the pitch so the game could resume. It looked like a successful prevention of a wee rammy on the pitch, as Stuart would call it.
The relief, however, didn't last long. The replacement referee, it seemed, was the worst such official the world had ever seen, and he was in charge of a now-very-hot-tempered football match. I should point out at this juncture that I do not honestly believe that he was biased towards his own team. He was just crap.
When the half time whistle went, the teams gathered separately for their talks, and as usual a handful of spectators remained on the touchline while everyone else offered their opinion on the pitch. Despite this, Getruda's voice still managed to be particularly audible over everyone else's, as she rallied the Vikula troops.
In the second half, Nundwe scored an early goal. As is customary on such occasions, everyone from Nundwe invaded the pitch with their euphoria, and jumped around a lot. A few minutes later, they managed to find the back of the net once more, and the same scenario was reenacted. However, the keeper and defenders had been blatantly fouled, so the goal was disallowed and the crowd had to clear off the pitch (incidentally, the only good decision made by the referee throughout the match).
It was about half way through the second half that things really went tits up. On a rare attack, Vikula managed a cross into the box from the left hand side. Under a challenge from the attacker, the Nundwe defence managed to head the ball safely behind for a corner. Naturally, the referee blew his whistle and pointed.....to the penalty spot?! Cue another, if slightly less euphoric, pitch invasion. Only four people in the ground seriously believed that Vikula deserved to have a penalty. Unfortunately, two of them happened to be the referee (from Vikula), who had given the decision, and the Vikula captain, Jofrey, who refused to forfeit the penalty for the sake of keeping the peace.
After about 20 minutes, we (Ema, Getruda and I) managed to take the captains, referees and leaders to one side to discuss the problem. It was decided that the only way to avoid a fight would be to not finish the match, and so that is what we did (or didn't do?).
Nundwe 1-(abandoned)-0 Vikula
Ugesa 3-0 Wami
So, Ugesa was in the final, and there had been no decision as to what would happen to Vikula and Nundwe. (However, everybody the next day was very nice to me in Nudwe, as I was the good referee who came before the crap one.) Wami were all but out of it, and Ihalimba still looked unimpressive at the bottom of the table. Soon, we found out that the referee had been beaten up on his way home, so Nundwe should have to be deducted three points. On the Wednesday, we agreed that we should have a meeting with the captains and leaders, and that our stance should be that the Nundwe vs Vikula match should be replayed in Ihalimba, to reduce the chances of fighting, and that Nundwe should be deducted three points. And after Wednesday's matches, Vikula looked to be sitting pretty for the second final spot, despite Ihalimba's late penalty against Nundwe.
Ihalimba 1-0 Nundwe
Wami 0-1 Vikula
Then, on Friday, the meeting was somewhat of a shambles. Once again, I missed that one, but even all the volunteers couldn't agree (despite having agreed a position before the meeting). Nundwe refused to accept having three points deducted, as the referee was beaten away from the ground (no, that really shouldn't make any difference) and Vikula walked out, refusing to play Nundwe at all. This left Ihalimba on 3pts, and Wami on 2pts, with Wami having played all their matches. The only thing that could keep Ihalimba out of the final was them starting a fight in their last match against Ugesa, thus having their 3pts deducted.
As it happened, Ihalimba were suddenly very impressive against Ugesa (they had been crap against Nundwe, despite their win), and took the lead in the first half. As usual, however, Ihalimba were crap in defence, and conceded two sloppy goals in the second half. After pulling one back, they were initially awarded another after the Ugesa keeper appeared to have stepped back over the line with the ball. However, after a few minutes of the Ugesa fans chasing the referee around the pitching in a near-comical Benny Hill style, the decision was reversed and the match finished...
Ihalimba 2-2 Ugesa
So, the final would be a replay of this match, except in Vikula, where the ward festival was to be held. Except it wasn't, because the Vikula footballers and their biggest fans vowed to set light to the pitch if we tried to hold the ward event there. Hence, two days before the actual event, it was moved to Ihalimba.
The Ugesa team arrived in style on the day - they had hired a lorry to carry them all, and drove round and round the football pitch, chanting, "Ugesa, Ugesa," while we were trying to conduct our raffle. Fortunately, they soon calmed down, and events could continue.
With Vende refereeing again (Ugesa having been very happy with him before), there should be no trouble, and there wasn't. Ihalimba, it seemed, had improved again, and were all over the opposition. They soon scored a disallowed (for off-side) goal, and followed it shortly afterwards with a goal that actually counted. By half-time, it should have been 3 or 4, but it was still only 1-0. The second half started in much the same vein, but late on Ugesa started to build some pressure. With five minutes to go, Vende awarded Ugesa a rather dubious penalty, but justice was done when the keeper saved spectacularly. Soon afterwards, however, a mishit cross dropped into the top corner of the Ihalimba goal, and the match went to penalties.
For the penalty shootout, Ugesa took first, and missed once again. The first Ihalimba penalty was to be taken by Francis Lupembe, and I was stood with the crowd behind the goal, ready to get a good picture. And a good picture I got. Except, a split second later, the ball hit me in the face, breaking the zoom mechanism on my camera, knocking the lens out of my glasses and giving me a rather sore front incisor for the next few days. Hopefully, Vende's Uncle Paul in Dar might be able to fix my camera, but I did miss the rest of the penalty shoot out. I'm told it finished...
Ihalimba 1-1 Ugesa (Ihalimba win 4-1 on penalties)
In the last week in the village, the people were friendlier than they had ever been - a stark contrast to the villagers in Vikula and Nundwe! And so endeth the Ihalimba Ward Leagues, after Ihalimba Village won the final, despite only getting into the final by default. Grin. Chuckle. Smug.
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