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Dynamos face Caf sanctions

Sport
CHAMPIONS Dynamos could face further sanctions from Caf after despondent fans from the notorious Vietnam stand threw missiles onto the pitch.

CHAMPIONS Dynamos could face further sanctions from the Confederation of African Football (Caf) after despondent fans from the notorious Vietnam stand threw missiles onto the pitch towards the end of the first round second leg match of the African Champions League against Tunisian side CA Bizertin at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.

Tawanda Tafirenyika

Dynamos, who went into the match needing to overcome a 3-0 deficit from the first leg, were under pressure from the first whistle as they needed to score at least four goals without reply to advance to the second round of the premier inter-club competition to meet Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

But the Zimbabwe champions, missing striker Francesco Zekumbawira through injury, were found wanting in the final third with their front runners lacking composure in the danger zone and in the process missing a host of chances.

They won the match 1-0.

As the envisaged goals became stubbornly elusive, frustration took its toll on the supporters and a section from the Vietnam stand threw missiles onto the pitch targeting South African assistant referee Lindikhaya Bolo for flagging for an offside as Dynamos striker Boban Zirintusa prepared to take a crack at goal in the 72nd minute.

Bolo had to run for dear life as missiles rained onto the pitch.

Dynamos, however, won the match with midfielder Cliff Sekete scoring the only goal of the game in referee’s optional time.

Still, this was not enough to prevent Dynamos from exiting the African safari as they could not manage the four goals they needed to go through to the second round.

It is, however, the behaviour of the home team’s fans which could see them getting further punishment from the continental soccer governing body.

Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, sources said the behaviour of Dynamos fans could attract punishment from Caf.

After bowing out of the competition in the first round, the Zimbabwe champions will this time not get a reprieve to play in the second tier Caf Confederations Cup tournament.

According to the Caf rules and regulations for the inter-club competitions, teams that are knocked out in the second round of the Champions League get a reprieve by playing the winners of the same stage in the Confederation Cup while those knocked out in the preliminary rounds automatically bid farewell to the competition.

The teams that win the second round of the Champions League advance to the group stage while the losers drop to the Confederation Cup where they must, however, play another round in order to enter that tournament’s mini-league stage.

Last year Dynamos got a reprieve to play in the Caf Cup after they were eliminated in the final qualifying round of the African Champions League following a 7-1 aggregate defeat by Espérance.