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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
CAPS United, who have been kicked out of Chibuku Super Cup, have lodged an appeal to have tomorrow’s semi-final match between Shabanie Mine and How Mine at Barbourfields put on hold until the determination of their case. The Green Machine, who paid a $3 000 appeal fee, believe there are inconsistencies and factual inaccuracies in the judgment released by the PSL Disciplinary Ad-Hoc Committee and a higher court – the ZIFA Appeals Committee – will issue a different ruling.

The league champions were fined $2 000 and found guilty of causing the abandonment of their quarter-final match against Shabanie Mine at Maglas on October 8 when assistant referee, Thomas Kusosa, was struck by a missile and injured. CAPS United insist that although Kusosa was hit it did not warrant the abandonment of the match and the failure by all the parties to provide the PSL Ad-Hoc Disciplinary Committee with a medical report to suggest the assistant referee was injured to the extent of not being able to continue with the game weakened the case of those who wanted them expelled from the tournament.

The Green Machine also insist that the PSL Committee clearly make it clear in their judgment that the evidence provided by the match officials was not satisfactory.

“While we applaud the swift reaction by the CAPS United technical team and the police in calming the CAPS United supporters, this could not save the match as the die had been cast the moment the match official was injured,” read the judgment. We do not believe that it was unreasonable on the part of the referee to abandon the match as a result of the missile throwing and injury to Mr Thomas Kusosa and the security concerns raised.

“There was no evidence submitted to suggest that the referee did not exercise his discretion properly even though his assertion that the match venue resembled a war zone was clearly an exaggeration. The point to note is that but for the conduct of the CAPS United supporters of injuring the assistant referee the match would not have been abandoned.’’ CAPS United argue that if the referee could dramatise the case to the PSL Ad-Hoc Disciplinary Committee, just to justify his decision to abandon the match, which the judgment clearly notes, how then could everything he said in his report be believed. According to the judgment released by the Premier Soccer League, CAPS United was found guilty of contravening Section 8.8 of Chibuku Super Cup Rules and Regulations.

“We, therefore, hold CAPS United Football Club responsible for causing the abandonment of this match. Consequently, the club is fined $2000. The match is awarded to Shabanie Football Club on a 3-0 score line. CAPS United FC to pay the costs of the sitting. The ruling is based on the Rules and Regulations of the Chibuku Super Cup and as such these findings are final,” read part of the judgment.

However, the Green Machine have questioned why there is no avenue for them to appeal against the ruling saying such an arrangement is a violation of the club’s rights as enshrined in the FIFA Statutes. Makepekepe argue that every knockout tournament in this country should not have rules and regulations that are in conflict with the ZIFA provisions in settlement of disputes or which are in conflict with FIFA Statutes.

“We are taking up the matter with the ZIFA Appeals Committee. We are appealing because we feel the adjudication wasn’t done properly and there are a lot of grey areas. What we want is justice to be served. It’s within our rights to seek recourse through the right football channels if we feel we haven’t been treated fairly. So we are asking ZIFA to stop the semi-final until this matter is resolved. But, if the Appeals Committee upholds what the judgment from the Disciplinary Committee, we will have no problem with that,” said the club’s chief executive Cuthbert Chitima. The match was abandoned in the 65th minute whilst the hosts were leading 1-0 following an injury sustained by assistant referee Kusosa after he disallowed a CAPS United effort.

“The match was abandoned by the match referee Philan Ncube following an injury sustained by the 2nd Assistant Referee Thomas Kusosa who was hit by a bottle thrown onto the pitch by CAPS United supporters who felt the assistant referee had denied them an equalising goal when he raised an offside flag against a CAPS United player,’’ read the judgment.

‘‘At the time of abandonment of the game Shabani Mine Football Club was leading 1-0. It is not disputable that the cause of missile throwing was anger by CAPS United supporters who felt that the assistant referee had wrongly charged that the CAPS United player who scored was from an offside position. There is corroborated evidence presented by the match referee, the match commissioner and the police in that missiles were thrown by CAPS United supporters occupying the stand opposite the VIP stand and one of these missiles hit the 2nd assistant referee Mr Thomas Kusosa injuring him. CAPS United Football Club in their submission admitted that indeed their supporters threw missiles aimed at the 2nd assistant referee when he raised the offside flag penalising their player whom they felt was not offside. CAPS United, however, tried to also blame Shabani Mine Football Club Supporters for also throwing missiles aimed at the 2nd Assistant Referee as they felt he had awarded CAPS United a goal. We find this defence to be lame and a poor attempt by CAPS United not to take full responsibility for the behaviour of its supporters.’’