Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HARDROCK’S attempts to STOP the replay of their abandoned match against Dynamos from going ahead at Baobab today has been DISMISSED.
This means the match, which is set to be played for the last remaining 14 minutes, will go ahead as scheduled in Mhondoro this afternoon.
It starts at 1pm.
The ZIFA Appeals Committee have dismissed Hardrock’s appeal, in which the club wanted the match to be halted until their challenge, in which they are appealing against the decision to hold them liable to the abandonment of the match, is fully heard and resolved.
The ZIFA Appeals Committee did not address those issues, which remain pending, but concentrated on the request for an order for today’s game to be postponed.
In their judgment, the ZIFA Appeals Committee said:
“The Appellant’s request for a Stay-Of-Execution pending appeal be and is hereby dismissed.
“The direction contained in the judgment of the PSL Disciplinary Committee dated 30th June 2026, that the fixture between Hardrock FC and Dynamos FC abandoned on 24th May 2026 be completed from the 76th minute, shall proceed as directed on Thursday 9th July 2026.
“The costs of the present request are reserved for determination together with the costs of the appeal.
“This Order is confined to the request for stay pending appeal and is without prejudice to, and shall not be read as expressing any view upon, the merits of the appeal, which remains to be determined’’.
The Appeals Committee added:
“The relief sought in Part VI of the Notice of Appeal is extensive, encompassing findings on the binding effect of FIFA Disciplinary Committee jurisprudence, the setting aside of two convictions, an alternative variation of sanction, an order for compensation against the Second Respondent, an order reversing the declined award of the abandoned fixture on a 3-0 scoreline, and costs.
“The present Order is concerned only with the ancillary and urgent question of whether execution of the judgment – specifically, the direction that the abandoned fixture be completed on Thursday 09th July 2026 – should be stayed pending determination of that relief.
“It does not touch upon, and should not be read as prejudging, any of the substantive relief sought.
“The Committee records, for completeness, that in sporting disputes, the noting of the appeal does not automatically suspend the operation of the judgment.”
The ZIFA Appeals Committee said there were some weaknesses in Hardrock’s request for the match not to go ahead.
“To that extent, a party wishing to avoid execution pending appeal must apply for, and satisfy the requirements of, a stay, which is what the Appellant has, correctly, sought to do through its written request.
“It is well established, including in the jurisprudence of the CAS, that a request for a stay of execution pending appeal will only be granted where the applicant demonstrates, cumulatively: that the stay is necessary to protect the applicant from irreparable harm.
“The applicant must demonstrate that the requested stay is necessary in order to protect its position from damage or risks that would be impossible, or very difficult, to remedy or cancel at a later stage; that the applicant has reasonable chances of success on the merits.”
The committee added:
“In this case, the applicant must demonstrate that their position is not obviously groundless and that it has reasonable prospects of eventually succeeding in the appeal.
“Further, it should also show that the applicant’s interests outweigh those of the opposing parties and of any third parties (the ‘balance of interests’ test’).
“The applicant must also demonstrate that the harm or inconvenience it would suffer from refusal of the stay would be comparatively greater than the harm or inconvenience the other parties would suffer were the stay to be granted.”
Interestingly, in the Hardrock appeal, Dynamos were cited as respondents, yet they were never formally informed of the application.
This also prompted Dynamos to formally write to the PSL seeking recourse.
PSL chief executive, Rodwell Thabe, said the match will go on as scheduled.
“Filing an appeal does not translate to cancellation of judgement, nor do they warrant Stay-Of-Execution therefore the match will go ahead as scheduled,” he said.
