KEY POINTS
- Highlanders and Simba Bhora fined $6,000 each after fan violence disrupted a match.
- ZIFA’s Referee Committee suspended the match referee for poor officiating.
- Football analyst Tom Nyathi criticized the decision to fine both teams, calling it unfair.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has fined Highlanders and Simba Bhora $6,000 each after fan violence led to the abandonment of the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match held on Sunday at Wadzanai Stadium.
The violent clashes, which resulted in injuries among fans, erupted following a controversial penalty awarded to Simba Bhora in the 76th minute.
The penalty, given after Highlanders’ defender Peter Mudhuwa fouled Tinashe Balakasi near the box, triggered chaos as Highlanders abandoned the match in protest. According to New Zimbabwe, the PSL has also summoned Highlanders to appear before the disciplinary committee on Tuesday to explain their actions.
Referee suspension and disciplinary action
In addition to the fines levied on both teams, the Zimbabwe Football Association’s (ZIFA) Referee Committee has suspended the match referee, Cecil Ngwezere, and one of his assistants for poor officiating. The decision to suspend the officials comes amid growing criticism of the quality of refereeing in domestic competitions.
Highlanders’ decision to abandon the match and the subsequent fan violence led to widespread condemnation, with the PSL taking swift action. Despite this, many believe that holding both teams equally accountable for the behavior of fans is unfair, particularly in a case where one team is the visiting side.
Debate over fairness of the fines
Speaking on the incident, football analyst Tom Nyathi criticized the PSL’s decision to fine both Highlanders and Simba Bhora. Nyathi argued that it was unreasonable to expect an away team to control a crowd at an unfamiliar venue.
“To me, this charge doesn’t make any sense, because you cannot hold an away team accountable for crowd violence,” Nyathi said. “It’s unfair to Highlanders. They are just taking advantage of them, but this is wrong. Highlanders cannot control fans in Shamva.”
Despite these criticisms, the PSL has insisted on maintaining the fines as part of efforts to curb violent behavior at football matches. Violence at stadiums has been a persistent issue, impacting the reputation of the league and raising safety concerns for both players and spectators.
The league’s governing body hopes these penalties will serve as a deterrent to future incidents.
As the disciplinary hearing approaches, many will be watching closely to see if the PSL takes any further action against Highlanders or makes adjustments to its regulations governing fan behavior. The league’s stance is clear: violence at stadiums will not be tolerated, and those responsible will face financial consequences.
