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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
NGEZI Platinum Stars captain Liberty Chakoroma faces a lengthy ban should he be found guilty of assaulting a match official after last weekend’s Chibuku Super Cup first-round exit.

The Warriors’ defender could not hold his frustrations after Ngezi Platinum Stars were shocked by Herentals, who forced the game to penalties after holding the championship contenders to a 1-1 draw . Herentals then beat Ngezi Platinum Stars 4-3 on penalties.

Besides tough sanctions facing the talented defender, Chakoroma has ruled himself out of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Soccer Stars of the Year selection.

Chakoroma, one of the outstanding players for title-chasing Ngezi, is set to appear before the league’s disciplinary committee facing charges of assaulting assistant referee Edgar Rumeki at Baobab Stadium on September 22.

“The club and their player are being charged for breaching the PSL Rules and Regulations. In terms of order 31 of the Rules and Regulations, it is an act of misconduct on the part of a club where:

“31.1.23 Its officials, players, servants or duly authorised (expressed or implied) representatives assault, threaten, intimidates, coerce, interfere, mislead or insult a match official, player, official of the League, public, press or media, or any other person, before, during or after any match.

“31.1.18 It fails to immediately report any act of alleged misconduct within its knowledge, to the League.

“The Disciplinary proceedings will take place on Tuesday 9 October 2018 at the PSL Offices,” reads a statement from the PSL.

Cases of players assaulting referees have been on the rise and in 2016, the Zifa Southern Region disciplinary committee slapped Victoria Falls Tigers’ defender Lethukuthula Mathe with a 10-year football ban for assaulting a match official.