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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
GIANTS Dynamos and Highlanders have been slapped with US$8 000 fines by the Premier Soccer League following episodes of violence which marred the ill-tempered Battle of Zimbabwe showdown at Barbourfields in Bulawayo on Sunday.
PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele yesterday said the clubs were penalised as per the league’s standing orders for their supporters’ behaviour when they rained missiles onto the pitch on two separate occasions.
Ndebele said Dynamos defender Partson Jaure will be summoned to appear before the league’s Disciplinary Committee to answer for his aggressive behaviour towards referee Thabani Bamala.
Jaure was involved in a nasty incident with Bosso striker Njabulo Ncube which resulted in the two players being sent off in the 30th minute, but the Dynamos and Warriors defender felt hard done by the referee and in a fit of rage, charged towards Bamala before he was restrained by his teammates.
Ndebele said the league was concerned with the acts of misconduct and urged players and officials to have mutual respect for one another on the field of play.
“The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is concerned with acts of misconduct and violence during and after football matches.
“We would like to appeal to all club officials, coaches, team managers, fans and all our stakeholders to practise Fair Play. Fair Play means respect. Respect is part of our game.
“Everyone has the same rights, including the right to be respected. Teammates, opponents, referees and fans must be respected. Referees are there to maintain discipline and Fair Play. Always accept their decisions without arguing and help them to enable all participants to have a more enjoyable game.
“Officials are also part of the game and must be respected accordingly. Spectators give the game atmosphere. They want to see the game played fairly, but must also behave fairly and with respect themselves,” said Ndebele.
The referee of the day, Bamala, stated in his report that Jaure verbally abused him after he had issued the defender with a red card.
Although he was sent off in controversial circumstances, Jaure did not help matters by allowing his emotions to get the better of him by allegedly verbally abusing the referee.
Images of Jaure charging towards the referee also drew the ire of Zifa, who castigated the player’s behaviour and likened it to that of a hooligan.
Ndebele said Jaure would soon be advised of the date of his hearing.
The league was also prompted to summon Jaure after receiving the referees’ report on the match which Dynamos won 1-0 via a late Ocean Mushure penalty.
That victory catapulted Dynamos back to the summit of the log standings as the championship race enters its homestretch.
But it was the sending off and subsequent conduct of their defender, Jaure, in the first half which somewhat blighted DeMbare’s “sweet’’ victory over a side the Glamour Boys consider “the real enemy’’ and Bamala in his report to the PSL accused the centre-back of verbally abusing him.
“In the 30th minute I sent off player number 82, N. Ncube of Highlanders, and player number 27, P. Jaure Dynamos F C, for violent conduct. Following his sending off, P. Jaure (Dynamos) insulted me using abusive language which he complemented with an attempt to physically assault me but was, however, restrained by his teammates,” wrote Bamala in his report.
In terms of the Premier Soccer League Rules and Regulations Order 31.2.9:
“It is an act of misconduct on the part of a player, official of a club, officials of the league, member of the management committee and a member of any sub-committee when he “assaults, threatens, intimidates, coerces, interferes, misleads or insults a match official, player, official of the league, public, press or media, or any other person, before, during or after a match.”
Zifa, citing Law 5 of the Fifa laws of the game also hit out at Jaure and stressed that it was wrong for the defender to try and assault the match official.
“Zifa would like to appeal to players, team officials and fans to respect the decisions of referees.
“We would to make it abundantly clear that referees are untouchable . . . Law 5 of the Laws of the game provides that the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final. Because of this Zifa condemns in the strongest possible terms any individual who attacks or demonstrates any violent behaviour against the referee,’’ read part of a statement from Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela.
The referee also charged that supporters from both sides were equally culpable for the incidents of violence that disturbed the flow of play. The teams have been made to pay fines for the actions of their supporters.
“In the 52nd minute, the Highlanders supporters who occupied the Soweto Bay terraces threw missiles (plastic water containers, soft drink and beer cans) into the field of play when the Dynamos goalkeeper (George Chigova) was injured”.
“In the 68th minute, the Dynamos supporters who occupied the Mpilo-End Bay also threw missiles (mineral water containers, soft drink and beer cans) into the field of play in protest to a decision that I had ruled in favour of Highlanders,” said Bamala.
Bamala, however, seemed to have been overawed by the occasion with his officiating having been questioned by both Bosso and DeMbare camps.
Despite underdogs Harare City having launched a strong campaign for honours, it is the two Premiership giants DeMbare and Bosso, who remain favourites to run away with the ultimate prize on the domestic game.
Bosso are also in a very good position to emulate Dynamos’ 2012 feat and secure a league and cup double as they are still in the running for the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
Highlanders will face Harare City in the Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-finals while Dynamos only have the league championship to look up to for honours after falling to mining teams — Shabanie Mine and How Mine — in the BancABC Sup8r and the Mbada Diamonds Cup respectively.
DeMbare must now ensure they cling onto the top spot by avoiding to drop points in their last four games in order to be crowned champions for a third successive season.
Online Reporter