The Referees Disciplinary Panel (RDP) has suspended assistant referee Juma Osire for six months following a contentious offside call that denied Kitara FC a point in their Uganda Premier League clash against Vipers SC.
The incident occurred at St. Mary’s Stadium last Thursday during the first minute of added time. Kitara FC had scored a goal through Dudu Ramathan, but Osire flagged for offside, nullifying the goal.
Video footage of the incident clearly showed that none of the Kitara FC players, including Ramathan, were in an offside position. This controversial decision proved decisive, as Vipers held on to secure a 2-1 victory thanks to Bright Anukani’s brace, despite Jude Ssemugabi’s opener for Kitara.
Osire’s suspension is not his first. In March 2021, he was banned for one month for his role in Derrick Ochan’s red card during a Police FC vs. Vipers SC match. On that occasion, Osire incorrectly informed the center referee that Ochan had handled the ball outside the box, leading to his dismissal.
Considering this repeated pattern of questionable decisions, the RDP has referred Osire to the Investigatory Chamber of the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee for further investigation.
The six-month suspension will see Osire sidelined from officiating at all levels of football for the foreseeable future. His actions have raised questions about the quality of officiating in the Uganda Premier League, and the investigation by the FUFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee is likely to draw further scrutiny to the matter.
The Referees Disciplinary Panel (RDP) has suspended Mr. Juma Osire for six months.
Osire was the first assistant referee in Match No.76 of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League between Vipers SC Vs Kitara FC at St. Mary’s Stadium.
In the 1st minute of additional time
after the… pic.twitter.com/bFKg0vMZdZ
— FUFA (@OfficialFUFA) December 9, 2023
