In an incident that which was a bad advertisement of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, TelOne head coach Herbert "Jompano" Maruwa stole the headlines for all the wrong reasons yesterday.
During a heated 1-1 draw against MWOS FC at Ngoni Stadium, Maruwa took the extraordinary step of deflating three match balls with a pair of scissors in a bizarre protest against officiating.
The match, which had been a cagey affair, exploded into life in the 79th minute. TelOne took the lead through a speculative long-range effort from Leeroy Murape, which MWOS goalkeeper Francis Tizayi unfortunately fumbled into his own net.
However, the WiFi Boys'celebrations were short-lived. Just two minutes later, the referee awarded a penalty to the hosts after TelOne goalkeeper Tafadzwa Chikosi was judged to have fouled Arthur Banda inside the box.
The decision sparked immediate outrage from the TelOne camp. As players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest, Maruwa produced a pair of scissors and began puncturing the MWOS match balls.
The act of sabotage caused a significant delay, casting a shadow over a TelOne side desperate for points following their 2-1 home loss to Dynamos last week.
Despite the chaotic scenes, Maruwa was surprisingly composed after the final whistle, choosing to focus on the tactical nature of the stalemate rather than his sideline outburst.
"Yeah, it was a good game. It was a see-saw. Both sides were playing well," Maruwa said. "It was a more tactical game, but at the end of the day, we managed to share the points. I'm happy with the points we got on the road."
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When pressed on the controversial penalty and the tension that led to the ball-slashing incident, Maruwa remained cryptic. "I cannot comment on things I don't have control over," he added.
MWOS FC, who finished second in the league last season, also failed to find their winning rhythm, moving to two points from two matches.
Coach Lloyd Mutasa remained diplomatic, looking ahead to a daunting trip to Barbourfields to face Highlanders.
"As I see my team, it's easier probably playing against teams like Highlanders. We know where they are coming from, but we are a team just as strong as they are. We will go there and see how it goes," Mutasa remarked.
While MWOS prepares for a heavyweight clash, Maruwa and TelOne now await the inevitable scrutiny of the league’s disciplinary committee following the afternoon’s sharp-edged antics.
