Chronicle Editor
Harare Bureau, Chegutu Pirates 0 – (0) 1 Dynamos
(Match abandoned in added time)
PREMIERSHIP newboys Chegutu Pirates are likely to pay dearly for lack of discipline after their players caused the abandonment of their game against Dynamos at Baobab Stadium yesterday.
Match commissioner Brighton Mudzamiri confirmed the match was called off because of the refusal by the home team to restart the game after DeMbare had scored a contested 97th minute winner.
“The match could not go ahead as you all saw that the other team refused to restart after conceding a goal. There was nothing more the referees could do. So it’s abandoned,” he said.
Dynamos are likely to win the match in the boardroom as video evidence appears to be on their favour.
After a frustrating afternoon in front of goal DeMbare were a relieved lot after they nailed the winning goal in the 97th minute from a fortuitous strike by Donald Dzvinyai.
But Pirates players and officials protested that the ball did not cross the line, although videos show that their defender was behind the goal line when he headed the ball in a desperate attempt to clear.
Chaos filled the stadium as the home team’s supporters also joined in the commotion, hurling missiles onto the pitch.
The stadium stewards also worked overtime to avert a mass pitch invasion.
Referee Peter Kalota also had to consider the match officials’ safety and after an almost 20-minute stoppage, he called the match off.
Chegutu Pirates coach Emmanuel Day Gutu, who tried without success to persuade his players to continue with the game, was saddened by the incident.“It’s a pity the game had to be decided this way,” he said.
“But we gave a good account of ourselves, they had their moments and we had our moments.”
However, Gutu was sceptical about the goal. “About the goal, I am not sure. The assistant referee was better positioned. When we asked the referee, he too was not sure whether the ball had crossed the line.
The ball was in the air so it was very difficult to see whether it crossed the line.
“The referee wasn’t sure and went and consulted the assistant referee, but the assistant referee’s decision was influenced by the photographer.
Online Reporter