Zimpapers Logo

Thomas Kusosa

Paul Mundandi, Harare Bureau
Shabanie Mine 1-0 Caps United

(Match abandoned in the 65th minute)
THE  explosive Chibuku Super Cup quarter final pitting hosts Shabanie Mine and Caps United  at Maglas Stadium was abandoned in the 65th minute after second  assistant referee  Thomas Kusosa was assaulted by fans for flagging a Kudzai Nyamupfukudza effort for offside.

The 64th minute goal would have brought the Green Machine level as they were down by a solitary goal. Caps United fans housed at the Eastern Bay responded by throwing missiles onto the pitch. Kusosa was injured on the right cheek.

Yesterday’s match was the third to be abandoned this season involving the Gweru based assistant referee, who is also on the Fifa list. The first involved archrivals Highlanders and Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium when he failed to flag a seemingly offside Dynamos hitman Christian Epoupa and the second was a Chibuku Super Cup first round encounter between Chicken Inn and Yadah FC  at Ascot Stadium last month.

“The referees were  fearing for their safety and decided to abandon the match. The second assistant referee was traumatised and the match could not continue,” said Gladmore Muzambi, the match commissioner who is also the vice chairman of the Zimbabwe Referees Committee.

Cuthbert Chitima, the Caps United chief executive officer was breathing fire as he was very disappointed with the decision.

“We are disappointed as an institution by the decision to abandon the match. As Caps United Football club we do not support violence. We want the atmosphere to be conducive for families.

“We are however against the decision to abandon the match as we felt the environment was conducive to play football. We blame the match organisers. It was a big match and what was the idea of deploying just four police officers? Our goalkeeper Edmore (Sibanda) was pelted by the Shabanie fans but the match was not abandoned. Are the players not important?

“Are we saying the match officials are more special than the players themselves or both need protection including all the officials who will be on the pitch. I would like to believe there is conspiracy to make sure we do not proceed. We will wait to hear from the authorities but as a club we are disappointed,” said Chitima.

Shabanie Mine had gone into the lead through William Mapfumo whose header from Trevor Ajana beat the big goalkeeper Sibanda all systems out in the 43rd minute.

It was the only chance that fell to Shabanie Mine as Caps United could have scored more than five goals had it not been for inept shooting by their strikers.