DYNAMOS midfielder Stephen Alimenda has been banned for three matches and fined $2 000 after being found guilty of assaulting and insulting Tsholotsho Football Club medic Sibusisiwe Mthunzi during a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Rufaro Stadium on May 25.
BY SPORTS REPORTER
He will now miss tomorrow’s match against Hwange and the return legs against Highlanders and ZPC Kariba. He had been fined $2 500, but $500 was suspended for the rest of the season. The fine is payable by August 31.
The case has, once again, brought to the fore the behaviour of match officials with referee of the day Thomas Masaa and match commissioner Tazvitya Chipere being accused by the PSL disciplinary committee (DC) of conniving not to discipline Alimenda despite clear evidence of the offence. Alimenda appeared before the PSL DC of chairman Vusi Vuma, Brighton Mudzamiri and Doreen Gapare on June 16 and 22 and Dynamos manager Richard Chihoro represented the club.
Allegations, according to the charge sheet, were that a Tsholotsho player was injured in the 88th minute and Mthunzi went past the Dynamos bench to render treatment to the injured player and Alimenda, who was on the Dynamos substitutes bench assaulted the team medic accusing her of delaying the game as the teams were heading towards a draw.
This is said to have happened in the full view of the first assistant referee as well as the fourth official. Tsholotsho FC coach Lizwe Sweswe raised the issue there and then with both match officials who verbally confirmed witnessing the incident. The team medic sustained a bruise on the cheek just below the eye.
The accused later visited Tsholotsho FC dressing room after the match to apologise to the medic. According to the judgement, the Tsholotsho coach confirmed witnessing the assault. It was his evidence that he confronted the first assistant referee when he witnessed the assault, who then said he had observed it. However, no action was taken.
After the final whistle, Sweswe questioned the referee as to why he did not take any action.
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He later saw the match officials talking to the accused, but nothing happened hence they lodged the complaint.
“The accused failed to explain why he went to the team bus after having gone to the dressing room and why the match officials would summon him alone if he had not done anything. He agreed there was no bad blood between him and the witnesses for them to lie against him,” part of the judgement read.
The PSL DC took a swipe at Masaa and Chipere.
“The committee was, however, perturbed by the conduct of the match officials, particularly the referee and match commissioner, who having been advised by the fourth official and the first assistant referee respectively about the (assault) lodged to them by the complainant decided that since the referee had not sanctioned the accused’s conduct with a red card, they were to keep quiet. This conduct is a clear violation of the referee’s powers as enshrined in the laws of the game.”
