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Patson Jaure

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League has defended Dynamos’ use of star defender Partson Jaure during Week Three of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season despite the player having been slapped with a seven-match ban for attempting to assault a match official last year.The DeMbare captain returned to action on Monday when his team played against Bantu Rovers and won 3-1 at Barbourfields Stadium, ironically the venue where he committed the offence leading to his ban last year.

Jaure was fined $2,000 and handed a seven-match suspension in November last year following an altercation with referee Thabani Bamala in a tense league match against Highlanders in October.

Jaure was sent off in the 30th minute after a clash with Bosso striker Njabulo Ncube. Although Ncube was also sent off, Jaure reacted angrily to his booking and in a fit of rage charged at Bamala threatening to kick the match official.

The player later on regretted his action and issued a public apology but the football authorities went on to ban him for seven matches.
The terminology used by the disciplinary committee has been the subject of debate.

“We used what was in the disciplinary committee sheet, the player was banned for seven PSL sanctioned matches. Whether those matches were friendlies or not it’s immaterial but the fact is that he has served his sentence,” said PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele yesterday.

He said the judgment did not say PSL official matches “but PSL sanctioned matches”.

However the move has raised eyebrows within some football circles who felt the ban should have been on official PSL matches.

“Surely the ban should have been on official PSL matches and not just PSL sanctioned matches,” said a soccer fan Vusani Sithole.
Recently, Dynamos secretary Webster Chikengezha and his coach Callisto Pasuwa were quoted expressing the team’s intention to appeal against the ban, although Chikengezha bemoaned the high appeal fees.

“We are contesting that ban and we are exploring the best possible ways of doing so. The appeal fees are prohibitive and we are weighing the cost-benefit.

“Maybe we could pay the appeal fee of $3,000 and then they slash the penalty by just two games so we are really considering whether it is worth taking that route.

“I cannot pre-empt what other considerations we have, but all I can say is that we are trying to pursue other means in our bid to have Partson back in action,’’ Chikengezha was quoted saying.

Coach Pasuwa said his player deserved a chance for a review of his punishment, adding ever since Jaure was punished, he has shown a great deal of reform in his approach to the game for both club and country and hoped the authorities would take that into account and reduce the number of games he is banned.

“His livelihood depends on football and in football seven games on the sidelines is a long time,’’ Pasuwa said.

Some of the friendly matches that Dynamos played were during the Chan tournament in South Africa where Jaure starred as skipper of the Warriors but his club was not aware that the matches were considered under the ban.