The Zifa Appeals Committee yesterday took
football in Zimbabwe to higher levels of
mediocrity when they allowed the result of the
Dynamos-Hwange match to stand despite clear
evidence of violence before the match.
The match in question, which Dynamos won 4-2
at Rufaro on May 6, was played without Hwange
coaches Nation Dube and Mebelo Njekwa who
were assaulted by Dynamos marshals.
The Zifa body found Dynamos guilty, but still
maintained that they must get three points — a
clear contradiction which might leave football
fans and observers wondering whose interests the
committee is serving.
The league's disciplinary committee noted that
Dynamos' marshals Abraham Kwenda, James
Dzamu and Simbarashe Zviita admitted
assaulting the Hwange technical team, but the
match still went ahead, mainly because security
of the fans was the bigger issue than Hwange
refusing to play.
The Appeals Committee believes the Premier
Soccer League (PSL) Disciplinary committee was
biased against Dynamos and they are using the
statements from the Harare side only. We think
this is unfair.
The PSL Disciplinary Committee made a decision
that Dynamos gained an unfair advantage over
their opponents by eliminating the technical team
and ordered a replay at a neutral venue.
To us, the Zifa Appeals committee is simply
advocating for violence because you can't find
someone guilty, but still don't believe that they
must lose points at worst, or replay the match as
a compromise to show that you are against
violence.
The committee believes that as long as there was
no evidence of trauma by Hwange players, based
on the fact that they scored two goals during the
match, then marshals can beat up coaches and
the match can still go ahead. It's a shame, to say
the least.
We might be tempted to
ask exactly whose
interests is the committee serving — football or
other constituencies which believe that violence is
the way to go in Zimbabwean football?
Are you (Appeals Committee) saying Fifa messed
up when they ordered a replay between the
Warriors and the Pharoahs in 1993? Is the
Appeals Committee suggesting that because
Dynamos did not get justice from Caf in 1998,
they must get their revenge from Hwange now?
We think the committee has simply misdirected
itself and have made it clear to Zimbabwe that
you are not part of the football family. We think
you support violence in football and you will do
everything in your power to ensure that those
who perpetrate violence in football are crowned
the kings.
We all thought PSL Rules and Regulations Order
31 were clear: 31.1.2 Its players, officials,
servants or duly authorised (expressed or implied)
representatives or supporters directly or indirectly
interrupt, obstruct or disturb the normal
proceedings of a game before, during or after the
match (will face disciplinary action).
When other football organisations, following the
deaths of 13 people at the National Sports
Stadium almost a decade ago and 73 in Egypt
recently, are fighting this scourge, we find a
strange organisation that demands evidence of
the trauma suffered by players before the game
to prove a clear violent occasion.
What the committee has simply done is to open a
route where this year's champions might be
decided via the boardroom, if Hwange takes the
case to the Commercial Arbitration Centre, and it
might not be anytime soon, until they reach a
decision.
By Sbue
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
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