After blowing the whistle for 19 years, a well-known local football referee, Mr Eric "Khathikhathi" Munyai from Hamakhuvha village outside Donald Frasers Hospital, has retired.
At the age of 42, Munyai felt that he had contributed enough to football over the past years and that he should give way to the young blood.
Munyai's refereeing career started in 2003. He said that the late Robert "Likhandela" Mphaphuli had taught him the basics of refereeing. After the passing away of Mr Mphaphuli, other well-known referees such as Mr Ephraim Singo and Mr Rudzani Mulaudzi became his mentors.
He officiated in the now-defunct Sibasa Local Football Association for one year before he was promoted to ply his skills in the SAB League in 2004. He was promoted to the Vodacom League the following year, following his superb performance in the SAB League.
Munyai said that his first game in the Vodacom League was between Masemola Diarora and The Dolphins FC, which was played at the Tshikota Grounds. Although he was one of the people who had excelled at the fitness tests to officiate in the professional ranks in 2017, Munyai was told that it would not be possible for him to officiate in the PSL and National First Division games because of his age. That has propelled him to say goodbye to the Vodacom League and concentrate on blowing the whistle in the SAB League.
Munyai, who is also the deputy chairperson for the Thulamela Local Football Association (Thulfa), reckons that his most memorable game was the clash between Maelula United Brothers and Rabali Pull Together, which was played at the Maelula Grounds way back in 2018. The match was a league-title decider and was abandoned towards the end of the game.
Apart from officiating at different levels over the past years, Munyai was grooming young football referees at his referees' academy, which he had established in 2011. Some of the referees who are the products of his academy include Mr Khamusi Razwimisani and Mr Rabelani Nemushungwa. Razwimisani is currently officiating in the PSL, while Nemushungwa is one of the best local referees in the ABC Motsepe League.
Munyai advised young referees to refrain from taking bribes to influence match results if they wanted to succeed in refereeing. He said that his retirement from refereeing meant that he would now concentrate on mentoring young referees through his academy.