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Hardlife Zvirekwi

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
FIVE Caps United FC players have been summoned to appear before a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) disciplinary committee today facing charges of causing the abandonment of last month’s league clash against How Mine in Bulawayo.The quintet of captain Hardlife Zvirekwi, defender Stephen Makatuka, utility player Dominic Mukandi, Moses Muchenje and Ronald Pfumbidzai allegedly masterminded the player revolt that led to the strike.

Caps United’s players refused to play in protest over outstanding salaries, signing-on fees and winning bonuses despite having arrived in Bulawayo 24 hours before the match. The club claimed they had deposited the money into the players’ bank accounts but the payments had not yet reflected when the team arrived in Bulawayo.

PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said Pfumbidzai, who is on trials in Sweden, will have his hearing rescheduled. The five payers are said to have breached PSL rules and regulations.

In terms of Order 31 of the PSL rules and regulations, it’s an act of misconduct on the part of a player where he directly or indirectly interrupts, obstructs or disturbs the normal proceedings of a game, before, during or after the match. Article 31.2.17 of the PSL rules and regulations reads: “It’s an act of misconduct on a player if he behaves in a manner which brings the league or any of its sponsors into disrepute or endangers the welfare of the league.”

Caps United players allegedly breached Article 33, which stipulates that it’s an act of misconduct on the part of a player if “he refuses to continue a match or abandons the field of play without permission by the referee or causes the abandonment of the match”.

The players were advised that only the club’s vice-chairman can attend and assist the players during the proceedings. For their part in causing the abandonment of the game, which had been scheduled to be beamed live on free-to-air television channel SuperSport, Caps United were slapped with a $1,200 fine and How Mine were handed three points on a 3-0 score line.

Furthermore, the PSL summoned the Harare giants to appear before the PSL disciplinary committee to answer charges of bringing the league and the game of football into disrepute.