THE long-awaited judgment in the case of the abandoned Karoi United versus Scottland Northern Region Division One Soccer League match will finally be released today.
Delivery of the verdict was delayed because of several issues, chief among them, the unavailability of the Karoi United lawyer ahead of the hearing.
After the hearing, getting all parties involved together for the announcement of the Disciplinary Committee determination caused delays as the lawyers insisted that they be present.
That judgment could potentially shape the destiny of the league title, where Scottland are engaged in a tussle for the sole ticket to the topflight with log leaders MWOS FC.
The two are separated by one point, but if Scottland get a favourable outcome, it could catapult them to the top of the log ahead of the two teams’ penultimate matches of the season.
Karoi United and Scottland were tied at one-all when the match was abandoned with the referee Mathew Dingo claiming that he had been struck by a missile thrown by a fan and could not continue with eight minutes left on the clock.
The rules of the game state that if a team, through its players, officials or fans, causes the abandonment of a game, the other team is given the match on a 3-0 score line.
It is said Karoi have not denied that the referee was struck by one its fans, but they argue that he was hit by the match ball and not a missile as alleged.
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The match was played in Karoi on September 15 and the hearing was also conducted last month.
According to reports tabled at the hearing, the match was contentious from the beginning, with officials said to have been attacked by the fans and engaged in fights among themselves.
Match commissioner Kanzvimbo Kanzvimbo reported that match officials were receiving constant threats of violence against them from the fans during the match.
He detailed what transpired leading to the abandonment of the match.
“Karoi United goalkeeper (Monze) started feigning injuries, delaying the restart of play. He was verbally warned several times and at 82 minutes, the referee (Dingo) went to caution him for a similar offence (and) during that process, Karoi United supporters who were behind the goals threw missiles at him and he fell. Police and medical teams entered the field of play to assist him,” part of Kanzvimbo’s report read.
“The referees had to go to the changing rooms for safety and further treatment. Karoi United fans advanced and surrounded the changing room demanding that they be released. I was sprinkled with unknown liquid substances as I moved in and out of changing rooms to check on the safety of players.”
Meanwhile, the Northern Region Soccer League has said that it is pursuing match-fixing allegations that have stemmed up during the tense run-in.
The league’s vice chairperson Sweeney Mushonga said that they take any match-fixing allegations seriously.
“The league has been uncharacteristically inundated with growing concerns of match fixing,” he told NewsDay Sport yesterday.
“At some point during the season, match officials were at the centre of these allegations, where they have been accused for making questionable decisions during matches, which led to rising suspicion among rival clubs, fans and stakeholders at large, that they were being paid to influence the outcome of certain matches.
“The league responded by engaging the Zifa Referees Committee, raising concern that the quality of match officiating was tainting the league. An agreement was reached to appoint Premier Soccer League match officials for what remained of the season and this has yielded positive results.”
He added that they had not swept any match-fixing cases under the carpet as they are pursuing cases that have been reported.
“Mere allegations of match-fixing put the league into disrepute and it has been a cause for concern that some of our clubs have been fingered in some instances,” Mushonga said.
“Given the nature of the complex web of match-fixing, the league has been very careful and diligently pursued these allegations. It’s our take that a mere rumour is enough to warrant our attention.
“The league responded to the suspension of coaches at Norton Community FC by demanding reports from the investigations that the club had initiated.”
Five members of Norton Community FC were suspended by the club over match-fixing allegations, with players being approached by one of the team’s executive members with bribe money, allegedly on behalf of Scottland FC.
The suspended are two executive members Tafadzwa Kuyerukana and Patrick Nyamayaro, two coaches Clemence Masunda and Willard Nguwoyembwa as well as the goalkeeper Brandon Bere.
Added Mushonga: “We also swiftly responded to similar allegations levelled against Harare City FC officials, by one of their executive committee members, by requesting for detailed reports.”
Norton Community were thrashed 7-0 by Scottland who have been on the prowl for an avalanche of goals as they seek a healthier goal difference.
They also defeated Harare City 3-1 at the weekend, where allegations of match-fixing also sprouted.
