Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Chicken Inn have been summoned to appear before the PSL Disciplinary Committee over their failure to pay referee Thomas Masaa accusing him of biased officiating in their match against FC Platinum last month.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Chicken Inn lost the match, which was played on June 23, by 1-0.
The Gamecocks will be charged for flouting Order 31.1.23 of the PSL rules and regulations.
In his report, Masaa alleged that Chicken Inn coach Rahman Gumbo accused him of having received a bribe from FC Platinum.
Masaa said he was insulted by Chicken Inn striker Obadiah Tarumbwa, and club secretary Tavengwa Hara uttered “unprintable words” to him after the match.
“After the final whistle, Rahman Gumbo, the Chicken Inn coach, claimed that the referee was paid by FC Platinum,” Masaa reported. “Tavengwa Hara said he is paymaster and he said he was not going to pay us the match fee to show his anger, which he did. He further said that, that was my last game of the season as he has more powers to do so as he sits in the Zifa board. He used unprintable words which I cannot repeat.”
He further stated: “Tarumbwa Obadiah, a Chicken Inn player, said he will beat me up as he fears no one to show that he was not happy with my officiating. His words were full of vulgar (sic).”
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Order 31.2.23 of the league rules and regulations states that it is an act of misconduct on the part of the club if “its officials, players, servants or duly authorised (express or implied) representatives assault, threaten, intimidate, coerce, interfere, mislead or insult a match official, player, official of the League, public, Press or media, or any other person, before, during or after any match.”
Two days after the match, Chicken Inn wrote to Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda accusing Masaa of bias and called for the referee’s suspension pending investigations.
In the correspondence, Chicken Inn said they were holding on to the match officials’ fees until the matter was deliberated on.
The letter was copied to the PSL.
