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Fungai Muderere, [email protected]

CAPS United have been summoned to appear before the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League’s disciplinary committee following the abandonment of its match against FC Platinum, due to crowd disturbances in the 85th minute at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.

FC Platinum were leading 1-0 when Ralph Kawondera’s effort was ruled offside, causing outrage among the Green Machine’s supporters.

CAPS United have been charged with breaching PSL Rules and Regulations, and disciplinary proceedings will take place on April 23.

The league has promised appropriate action, to prevent future problems.

“CAPS United have been charged for breaching the PSL Rules and Regulations. In terms of Order 31 of the PSL Rules and Regulations, it is an act of misconduct on the part of the club where: 31.1.13 its supporters misbehave in any manner whatsoever, inside or outside a ground before, during or after a match, no matter on which ground the match is played.

Without derogating from the generality of what constitutes misbehaviours on the part of supporters, the following are specifically declared to be acts of misbehaviour:

l “31.1.13.1 Invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play, save for reasons of crowd safety;

l 31.1.13.2 Causing the abandonment of a match.

“The disciplinary proceedings will take place on Tuesday April 23 at the PSL offices,” said PSL communications and media liaison officer, Kudzai Bare.

The PSL said the scenes witnessed at Mandava were unacceptable and promised appropriate action, to nip the problem in the bud.

PSL chairman, Farai Jere, who is also the CAPS United president, expressed his disappointment with the incident, which was the first episode of violence to mar Premiership action this season.

He said there will be no sacred cows, as the PSL disciplinary committee will be tasked to deal with the issue in the shortest possible time.

“This is totally unacceptable. I’m not around, but I’ve been reading and watching what has been happening. We don’t take the law into our own hands. What CAPS United supporters did is unacceptable in whatever way you look at it,” said Jere.

“CAPS United fans should not have taken the law into their own hands. It’s unacceptable, it’s very wrong. We have seen decisions being made, which are not correct in football, but the game moves on.

“At the end of the day, we want football to be the winner. The referee’s decision is final. When the referee signalled that it was an offside, there were still two minutes to play and there was going to be additional time and we could have scored one or two goals, it happens in football.

“This is now going to put the position of the club in a very bad state and to a bigger extent the brand PSL and our football at large.

“We want our fans to come and enjoy football. Football this year is exciting with the way things are happening.”

Kawondera had found the back of the net with a spectacular curling effort, but the Green Machine’s celebrations were cut short after assistant referee Mncedisi Maphosa raised his flag to signal offside.

It was a difficult call to make and as centre referee, Gweru-based Lloyd Mapanje, went over to the assistant to consult, and CAPS United fans invaded the pitch, resulting in a 20-minute stoppage.

Match commissioner, Brighton Nyika said the match was abandoned as a result of security concerns by the referees. — @FungaiMuderere