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PSL summon Dynamos, Ngezi

Sport
DYNAMOS and Ngezi Platinum Stars are facing Premier Soccer League (PSL) sanctions, following the two teams’ chaotic clash at Baobab Stadium last Saturday.

DYNAMOS and Ngezi Platinum Stars are facing Premier Soccer League (PSL) sanctions, following the two teams’ chaotic clash at Baobab Stadium last Saturday.

BY HENRY MHARA

The home side Ngezi Platinum won the match 2-0 in a contest marred by lengthy stoppages due to crowd trouble.

The match was stopped twice after Dynamos fans invaded the pitch in protest over the conduct of ball boys, whom they accused of deliberately delaying and disrupting play.

There were also running battles between the two teams’ fans, which spilled into the pitch, forcing the matchday referee Brighton Chimene to suspend the match, before allowing it to resume to the end.

PSL yesterday said they had summoned the two teams to appear before a disciplinary committee, following the disturbances.

The disciplinary proceedings will take place on Thursday next week at the PSL offices in Harare.

“The Premier Soccer League has summoned Dynamos FC and Ngezi Platinum Stars to appear before the PSL Disciplinary Committee following match disturbances that occurred at a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match featuring the two teams played at Baobab Stadium on Saturday October 28, 2017.

“Both clubs are being charged for breaching Order 31 of the PSL Rules and Regulations. Dynamos are being charged for violence and pitch invasion while Ngezi Platinum Stars are being charged for violence and disrupting the normal proceedings of the match,” read a statement by the PSL.

The two clubs are facing fines of at least $4 000 each.

This is not the first time that PSL are charging a club this campaign for crowd trouble after Highlanders were slapped with a $4 000 fine for their abandoned league match against Dynamos early this season. The match was awarded to Dynamos on a 3-0 score line. Caps United were also fined and booted out of the Chibuku Super Cup after their supporters were found guilty for causing the abandonment of their game against Shabanie Mine in the competition’s quarter-final match last month.

Earlier in the competition, Chicken Inn had also been fined and thrown out, after walking out of the pitch in their match against Yadah in protest over a penalty awarded to the latter.

PSL are worried at the way violent incidences are reoccurring at their league matches.

They have organised a workshop with different football stakeholders tomorrow in Kadoma in a bid to stop the rot.

Chief superintendent Brighton Mudzamiri, who is a former referee, will lead a panel of facilitators.

The workshop, according to the PSL, will discuss among other things, incidents of violence, pitch invasions, disorderliness, and match disruptions that have taken place this season. A security manual to be followed at all future PSL matches, will also be drafted at the workshop.

“The Premier Soccer League continues to be deeply disturbed by the unruly behaviour of some football fans, who are not taking heed of calls to desist from violence, pitch invasions and commotion at football matches.

“In a move to curtail violence and hooliganism, the PSL is holding a stakeholders workshop with club chief executive officers, security officers, chairpersons of supporters clubs from selected teams, heads of private security companies and senior Zimbabwe Republic Police Officers to discuss security and crowd management at football matches.”