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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS FC have been summoned to appear before a Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee over their fans’ conduct which caused the abandonment of a league match against Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
The hearing will be held next Tuesday and the schedule of offences includes pitch invasion, missile throwing and violent conduct by their fans.
In summons issued yesterday, Highlanders are being charged in terms of Order 31; Acts of misconduct/ offences, which says it’s an act of misconduct when supporters misbehave in any manner whatsoever, inside or outside a ground before, during or after a match, no matter on which ground the match is played.
“The Premier Soccer League has summoned Highlanders FC to appear before the PSL Disciplinary Committee following incidents of hooliganism that occurred at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday 14 May 2017 at a Castle Lager PSL match between Highlanders FC and Dynamos FC resulting in the abandonment of the match.
“Highlanders FC have been charged for breaching the Premier Soccer League Rules and Regulations.
“In terms of order 31 of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Rules and Regulations;
“It is an Act of Misconduct on the part of the Club where;
“31.1.13 Its supporters misbehave in any manner whatsoever, inside or outside a ground before, during or after a match, no matter on which ground the match is played. Without derogating from the generality of what constitutes misbehaviours on the part of supporters, the following are specifically declared to be acts of misbehaviour:-
“31.1.13.1 Invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play, save for the reasons of crowd safety.
“31.1.13.2 Causing abandonment or attempting to cause the abandonment of a match
“31.1.13.3 Throwing or attempting to throw missiles, bottled and other objects, whether potentially harmful or dangerous or not, on to the pitch, or at any person;
“31.1.13.5 Acts of violence or attempted acts of violence against anyone at the game,” reads part of the PSL statement.
The explosive Castle Lager PSL flagship encounter was only played for 40 minutes before being called off due to crowd trouble.
Pitch invasion or missile throwing carries a $2 000 fine. This could further poke more holes into Highlanders’ empty coffers as the club is already heavily weighed down by a ballooning debt of more than half a million dollars.
The PSL went on to condemn acts of violence and hooliganism in football. It challenged club leaders to capacitate their security officials and educate their fans to eradicate violence in football.
Before Sunday’s game, Highlanders made a passionate appeal to their fans to desist from any acts of violence and the league even had a road show on fan education in Bulawayo on Saturday.
“We would like to apologise to all our stakeholders and fans for the unfortunate incident that happened at Barbourfields Stadium. We appeal to all football loving fans to desist from violence and assist in identifying the perpetrators of hooliganism,” the PSL said.
Just what triggered the disturbances at Barbourfields on Sunday?
A decision by assistant referee Thomas Kusosa to allow an equaliser by Dynamos’ Cameroonian striker Christian Epoupa in the 40th minute from an offside position to stand sparked the trouble.
Highlanders’ fans threw missiles at Kusosa protesting his decision not to flag Epoupa for offside.
With missiles raining on Kusosa, the Gweru-based assistant referee ran to the centre of the field as Bosso players and officials tried to calm down fans.
Twice the fans prevented Kusosa from returning to the far side touchline and match commissioner Edson Nkau and the referee called off the match.
Highlanders had shot into the lead through a 23rd minute beauty by skipper Rahman Kutsanzira, who scored from outside the box after receiving a pass following a corner kick by Allan Gahadzikwa.
A referees’ instructor said Kusosa erred by letting Epoupa’s goal stand.
“The International Football Association Board (IFAB) Law 11 on offside is very clear. When considering the laws of the game on offside, we consider deflection or deliberate pass. In this situation, the defender (Peter Muduhwa) did not pass the ball. About deflection, it is not a deliberate pass. If you consider that to be a deliberate save from a defender, again a deliberate save is penalised as offside. Only a deliberate pass is the one which is not considered as offside. The considerations are; did the defender deliberately play the ball? If not then penalise for offside. The defender did not deliberately play the ball. That one is linked to gaining advantage by a player who deliberately saved the ball since the defender did not deliberately pass the ball, that was a deliberate save hence an offside should have been called,” said the instructor.
@ZililoR
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