Vusumuzi Dube
Lovemore Dube
HIGHLANDERS have been found guilty of causing the abandonment of their Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final clash with Simba Bhora at Wadzanayi Stadium in Shamva on 22 September.
They were hit with a US$6 000 fine and the match awarded to Simba Bhora on a 3-0 scoreline.
Effectively, Highlanders will pay US$2 000 after US$4 000 was suspended.
Bosso confirmed receiving the letter on Friday and said the executive will discuss the contents of the judgment at their weekly meeting this week.
“We have received the judgment but we will only have a look at it next week at our meeting. We are aware that we cannot appeal against the decision according to the tournament rules,” said Highlanders secretary-general Morgan Dube.
The decision has been slammed by popular radio personality Ezra Sibanda, a social media influencer who organised last week’s fundraiser at the Highlanders Clubhouse towards paying US$6 000 for crowd trouble at Wadzanayi Stadium recently.
“Simba Bhora and corrupt referees have been awarded the Chibuku Cup match going through on a 3-0 scoreline. Giving a fake penalty outside the box is that not putting football into disrepute? Which law tells a referee to award a penalty outside the box?
“How did Bosso cause the abandonment of the match, yet they never walked off the pitch? The referee Gwezera didn’t even order Simba Bhora to take their penalty neither did he order Bosso keeper Ariel Sibanda to get back to his goal area. In a normal game, the referee should have stood next to the penalty spot and given a yellow card to the Bosso goalkeeper if he refused to go to the goal, but the referee was near the centre of the field. The same referees were suspended by Zifa for gross failure in that match at Wadzanayi Stadium.
“Their suspension clearly proved there was a case of incompetence because the game was played outside the laws of the game (foul that never was and a penalty call outside the box). Zifa suspended those Corrupt Referees, but PSL has come out to say thumbs up to the same suspended referees,” said Sibanda.
Sibanda said it is worrying that everytime Highlanders are hauled before a hearing they are always found guilty.
“It’s no brainer that once Highlanders is summoned to these PSL ‘kangaroo’ disciplinary hearings, they will always be blamed, found guilty and fined heavily. Bosso presented a strong case in the hearing that any learned and competent judge would have ordered a replay of the game,” said Sibanda.
Sibanda called for a new Zifa as a matter of urgency. Sibanda alleged that the big two Dynamos and Highlanders are of late victimised calling the two giants to re-consider their stay in the Premier Soccer League.
Simba Bhora were awarded a penalty in the 79th minute following a Peter Muduhwa and Tinashe Balakasi tussle clearly outside the box.
Referee of the day, Cecil Gwezera and his assistant Zondzi Ngosana awarded a penalty. Highlanders protested the call resulting in the abandonment of the match.
A three member disciplinary committee resolved that Highlanders were to blame for the abandonment, which was caused by the dubious penalty decision.
Highlanders were found to have contravened Order 8.8 of the Chibuku Super Cup Rules and Regulations-Causing the abandonment of a Chibuku Super Cup Match.
“The accused, Highlanders FC, is hereby sentenced to pay a fine of US$6 000.00 (Six Thousand United States dollars). Of this amount, $4 000 is suspended on condition that the club is not found guilty of any offence that brings the game of football into disrepute for the remainder of the season. The effective fine of $2000-00 together with the costs of the hearing, shall be paid within two weeks of receipt of this judgment. The abandoned match be and is hereby awarded to Simba Bhora FC on a 3 nil scoreline,” reads the judgement.
The Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee constituted of Doreen Gapare, the chairperson, Raphael Tsivana and Washington Magaya (members).
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu