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Harare Bureau
DYNAMOS issued a chilling warning last night that they could pull out of the NetOne Easycall semi-final showdown against Highlanders at Barbourfields on Sunday in protest over a “vendetta being waged against them by the Premier Soccer League leadership”.

DeMbare’s leadership was due to meet last night and should club president Kenny Mubaiwa agree with his executive members, who have endorsed the decision to pull out of the tournament, then Dynamos will withdraw from the tourney giving Bosso automatic victory.

But such an action could be a slap in the face of the sponsors, who have been counting on this flagship showdown to boost their mileage, and SuperSport, who have been working all week to broadcast the big match live from Barbourfields.

DeMbare are unhappy that the PSL leadership appear to be treating them with a heavy hand while, at the same time, treating their rivals with kids’ gloves as and when they commit similar offences.

The situation has been worsened by the feeling within the Dynamos executive that the composition of the PSL leadership – where CAPS United vice-president Twine Phiri is the boss and Highlanders’ chairman Peter Dube is the vice-chairman, with former Bosso leader Kenny Ndebele being the chief executive – is hostile to the interests of the Glamour Boys.

Matters came to a head this week when the PSL sanctioned Dynamos’ forwards, Takesure Chinyama, and Rodreck Mutuma, for bringing football into disrepute when they charged at referee Philani Ncube at the end of a stormy Chibuku Super Cup final against Harare City, which the Glamour Boys lost.

The PSL Disciplinary Committee found the two strikers guilty and suspended them for four matches, which means they will miss the Easycall semi-final against Highlanders this weekend, and also fined them for their conduct.

DeMbare feel that the whole process was stage-managed and timed to perfection to ensure that the two strikers will not only be elbowed out of consideration for the Soccer Stars of the Year, with the judgment being fast-tracked to be released on Sunday night, hours before the selection process, but also that they miss the Easycall Cup semi-final game.

The Dynamos officials are also unhappy that journalists and coaches, who were part of the panel that voted for the Soccer Stars of the Year, were advised of the fate of the two players before judgment had been delivered to the concerned parties as should be the norm in a professional set-up.

“There’s no question that we’re getting a very raw deal from the PSL and everyone can see. If they don’t want us to be part of the league then they should just tell us because it doesn’t make sense that our players are punished for this offence and Highlanders players, who behaved in a similar, if not worse manner, aren’t punished,” Dynamos secretary-general Webster Chikengezha, told our Harare Bureau.

He said they submitted images of Bosso and How Mine players charging at referees and questioned why they were not charged and punished for the offences.

“It appears all this was ignored because the PSL wanted to just ensure that we get punished. and when one looks at the timing of the release of the judgment, and how it was released, there’s no question that this was all meant to ensure that our players aren’t considered for the Soccer Stars of the Year and also they will not be involved in the game against Highlanders this coming weekend.

“We even had a situation where those who were selecting the Soccer Stars of the Year knew that our players had been found guilty before the decision had been communicated to us, as a club, and them as individuals, and that’s very unprofessional.

“If the PSL don’t want us to be part of their tournaments they shouldn’t hide behind weakening us by ensuring that our top two strikers don’t play but they should be brave enough to tell us that they don’t want us and we’ll not bother them.

“We’re doing our consultations and we’re only waiting for the approval of the club president and if he says ‘yes’, then we’ll withdraw from the Easycall semi-final, write a letter of apology to NetOne and tell them that we’re sorry that we’re dragging their good name into this mess and then go on holiday.”

Chinyama and Mutuma denied the charges of bringing football into disrepute when they appeared before a PSL Disciplinary Committee but they were still found guilty as charged.

“The accused players are hereby ordered to pay each a fine of $1,500-00, US$500 of which is suspended for the remainder of the season on condition the player is not convicted of any offence involving any general unsportsmanship conduct,” reads the judgment.

“The effective fine of $1,000, together with costs of the hearing, is to be paid by the 31st of December 2015. The accused players are further each banned from participating in four officially sanctioned matches by the PSL with immediate effect.

“Mr Pilani Ncube, the referee gave evidence to the effect that he saw both accused charge at him in a threatening manner when he had blown the whistle to end the game.

“Mutuma was more vocal and in the process abused him saying that ‘murimabharanzi,(you’re fools) that’s why you were fired from Cosafa’, among other insulting words. Chinyama was busy shouting as well.