The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has summoned Caps United coach Lloyd Chitembwe and his Chicken Inn counterpart Joey Antipas to appear before a disciplinary committee for alleged breaches of the league’s rules and regulations.
This is in response to the comments the two coaches made at the weekend which appeared to attack the integrity of match officials.
Chitembwe and Antipas said that local referees had reduced the league into a “comic show” following their respective teams' matches.
PSL said the comments bring the league into disrepute as they seek to stamp their authority early in the season.
"Such actions are in direct violation of the PSL rules and regulations," the PSL announced yesterday.
"In terms of order 31.2.16 of the PSL rules and regulations, it is an act of misconduct on the part of the club official who commits any act or makes any statement, either orally or in writing, or has been responsible for conduct which is considered ungentlemanly, insulting or improper behaviour, or likely to bring the game, sponsors, any member, the league or Zifa into disrepute."
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Chitembwe, who is a repeat offender, is scheduled to appear for a disciplinary hearing on April 23 while Antipas is set to appear two days later.
Chitembwe’s rant came after his Caps United were denied an equaliser when Ralph Kawondera's late strike away at FC Platinum was ruled out for offside by assistant referee Mncedisi Maposa.
The match was abandoned in the 88th minute due to crowd trouble with FC Platinum leading courtesy of a Juan Mutudza first-half strike.
Caps United have since been summoned by the PSL for causing the abandonment of this encounter.
After the match, Chitembwe launched an attack on the officials.
“The problem in our football is that the wrong man always takes centre stage, and it has reduced this PSL to a comical show,” he said.
Chitembwe added: “It is unfortunate when week in, week out people are always complaining about poor match officiating. We cannot have referees making stupid decisions if we aspire to be a serious football nation. It is saddening to see the referee taking the centre stage for all the wrong reasons."
Likewise, Antipas suggested that match officials were holding the league back after his side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manica Diamonds.
“This is disappointing. It was poor officiating from kick-off, we were in trouble. They were just blowing against us,” he said. “The goal they scored went out, but it was waved play on. The PSL is becoming comic because of poor officiating,” Antipas said.
However, PSL chairperson Farai Jere who is also the Caps United owner has leapt to the referees’ defence saying the officiating has improved.