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it meets in Johannesburg on Monday to review the Glamour Boys’ ill-tempered Champions League tie against MC Alger in Algiers two weeks ago.
DeMbare crashed to a controversial 0-3 defeat at the hands of MC Alger in Algiers two weeks ago, with the Algerians wiping out a 4-1 first leg loss, to qualify for the second round on the away goals rule.
The Glamour Boys have complained bitterly about the way Egyptian referee Fahim Omar handled the tie and delegation leader Austin Chishanga, who is a Zifa Councillor, called the match a fraudulent act, blaming shadowy syndicates for the way Dynamos were punished by the match officials.
While Caf’s announcement, that the match was one of seven games to be discussed by their disciplinary committee next week, ignited expectations among the DeMbare fans that its outcome could be changed, The Herald can reveal today that it’s the Harare giants who are likely to be punished.
Caf have already made it clear, in their circular related to the Disciplinary Committee sitting, that their board “will only evaluate matters about the above-mentioned matches related to incidents in violation to Articles tabled in the Caf Disciplinary Code.”
The Articles in the Caf Disciplinary Code only deal with issues related to discipline on and off the field and have nothing to empower them with the authority to reverse the outcome of a match on the basis that the match officials might have been biased.
What has emerged clearly is that the Caf Disciplinary Committee will deal with the two red cards, issued to Archford Gutu and Guthrie Zhokinyi, and the seven yellow cards issued to other DeMbare players, and see whether they could punish the players further.
The Disciplinary Committee is also empowered to impose further sanctions on the club.
Once a Caf inter-club match is blighted by two red cards and seven yellow cards, including protests by players related to the match officials’ conduct, it automatically has to be reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee.
But the Disciplinary Committee will be acting on the reports of the referees and the match commissioner, which are usually flawed and supportive of their actions, and – in the unlikely event that the commissioner reports that the referees were biased – it’s the match officials who are punished.
The result, unfortunately, is not altered.
Caf announced in their circular that “other matters related to the overall organisation of the matches will be treated by the inter-clubs’ organising committee meeting to be held in Cairo, Egypt, on May 14 2011.”
Those issues include ill-treatment of teams, lack of adequate security and complaints over referees’ performances.
Interestingly, that meeting will be held a week after the second legs of the second round of the Champions League and Caf have already fixtured MC Alger to play Interclube of Angola in that round.
The first leg will be held next weekend with the second legs on the weekend of May 6, 7 and 8.
A local refereeing expert confirmed yesterday that there was a very high likelihood that there could be further sanctions on Dynamos following the events in Algiers and the Caf Disciplinary Committee will certainly come up with such measures.
The expert, who cannot be named for professional reasons as he is also a Caf match commissioner, noted that Dynamos could actually find themselves being fined for the conduct of their players.
The match official said the fact that the game was being reviewed did not translate into its outcome being reviewed in DeMbare’s favour or a replay being ordered.
“Of course there might be some pressure bearing on Caf to clean up their image following serious allegations on the North versus South divisions but that will not affect the regulations they use to review matches,” he said.
“The result of the Dynamos game will not change. If Caf were to alter the result based on Dynamos’ complaint of biased officiating, it would be the first of its kind.
“In fact Caf might deal with other sanctions either on the players or the referee.
“If the review proves that the referee failed to make crucial decisions, the sanctions will be applied on the referee and he may be suspended for a certain period as was the case with Falla Ndoye (Senegalese referee) and Coulibaly (Malian referee).
“But what Dynamos must be made to understand is that Caf reserves the right to make further sanctions if they review the conduct of the player and why a player was either cautioned or sent off.”
He also warned that Dynamos could find themselves being slapped with a fine if their players are deemed to have crossed the line during that match.
“The match commissioner’s report dwells on the performance of the referee and in the event that the match commissioner hits out at the referee, Caf or Fifa will take action to sanction the referee.
“But if strong cases like the disallowed Frank Lampard goal for England against Germany at the World Cup 2010 did not result in the alteration of the outcome, except that the referee of that game was stopped from further handling matches in the tournament, you can see why I say the Dynamos result can’t be altered.
“If indeed they get some relief it would be when the Egyptian referee is suspended but football authorities – whether it if Fifa or Caf – are clear that the referee’s decision is final on matters of fact,” the official said.
History has also shown that players such as midfielder Stephen Alimenda received a US$500 fine after Caf had reviewed the yellow cards he had received in two Confederation Cup matches in Burkina Faso and Angola when turning up for Mwana Africa in 2007.
DeMbare chairman Farai Munetsi said his club was happy that the Caf Disciplinary Committee will discuss their game but said they were not expecting the regional body to overturn the decision.
Munetsi revealed that his team, working in tandem with champions TP Mazembe, were pushing for a tournament, which should cater for clubs from the Southern Region.
“I think Caf will just take note of what happened in the match and review the match. It is not like they will overturn the result against the host team and award the match to us.
“But it is a welcome development in itself that Caf really wants to review all the matches under dispute.
“As Dynamos we will meet the executive and the board and chat the way forward whether we should continue participating in these tournaments because they are also not financially lucrative.
“We are pushing with TP Mazembe and see if we can come up with a tournament for Southern Africa teams or an East/Southern Africa tournament.
“Possibly this tournament would be more lucrative and I am sure a regional sponsorship can offer more to clubs and it also cut the costs associated with travelling in Africa. “
Munetsi said they were also interested in taking part in the Vodacom Challenge Cup, which features South African Premiership giants clubs Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, and an English Premiership club.
Dynamos last participated in this prestigious four team invitational tournament in 2001.