DYNAMOS have threatened to pull out of the Premier Soccer League (PSL), accusing the league management of selectively applying the law following four-match bans handed to strikers Takesure Chinyama and Roderick Mutuma.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
With just a day before the trip to Bulawayo, the Easycall Cup semi-final against Highlanders at Barbourfields at the weekend, hangs in the balance.
Club chairman Keni Mubaiwa yesterday said the law was being applied selectively by the PSL, whose chairman, Twine Phiri, is one of Caps United directors.
Mubaiwa said they had continually thrashed their rivals (Caps United) on the field and the Green Machine was now “fighting them from the boardroom”.
“We have beaten Caps United on the field of play and now Caps United are fighting their wars in the boardroom. The PSL is applying the law selectively,” he said. “The playing field is uneven and we have concluded that they don’t want us in the league altogether. So we are going to pull out of the league and form our own. Dynamos are a big club with a huge following and it will not be a problem for us.”
Phiri spent the better part of the day yesterday trying in vain to meet with the Dynamos leadership in a bid to resolve the matter.
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The meeting was eventually scheduled for today.
Dynamos secretary, Webster Chikengezha said they would withdraw from the Easycall Cup semis if the playing field remained uneven.
He said it was not about the sponsors, NetOne, but the PSL management.
Chikengezha said when they realised that Philani Ncube was the referee for the Chibuku Super Cup final against Harare City, they told the match commissioner that they were playing under protest because “Ncube doesn’t like Dynamos”.
Chinyama and Mutuma were banned for four matches over violent conduct after the match against Harare City in October.
On top of the ban, a PSL disciplinary committee ruled that the pair should pay a $1 000 fine each.
The players were found guilty of charging at Ncube in a violent manner after their 2-1 loss to Harare City.
Mutuma was said to be the more vocal and in the process abused the referee, making references to the reasons why Zimbabwean match officials were fired from Cosafa.
Everything was captured on video and, according to the judgment, it clearly showed the two “charging” towards the referee.
The disciplinary committee, chaired by Vusi Vuma, said in arriving at the sentence, they took into account that there was need to ensure players did not act on their emotions.
“In arriving at the appropriate sentence, we have taken into account the fact that there is need to ensure that players are deterred from acting on their emotions,” read part of the judgment.
“The behaviour displayed on the video is quite threatening — someone charging at the referee in that manner can only lead one to think that they may act on their emotions and possibly assault the official. A threat of violence is indeed violence. There is need, therefore, to send a very strong message to deter like-minded people.”
