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Rahman Gumbo

Sports Reporter
CHICKEN INN coach Rahman Gumbo has been fined $2 500 by the Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee for the role he played in the abandoned Chibuku Super Cup match between his team and Yadah Stars two months ago. According to a statement from the league yesterday, Gumbo was found guilty of contravening Order 31.4 of the Premier Soccer League Rules and Regulations which makes it an offence “on the part of an official, where the said official causes the abandonment of a match.”

The match was played at Ascot on September 23 and ended prematurely when the former Warriors coach ordered his players off the pitch to protest a late penalty that was awarded to the Miracle Boys.

The statement released by PSL yesterday laid the blame squarely on Gumbo. “In coming up with their judgment, the Disciplinary Committee noted that it was clear that Rahman Gumbo caused the abandonment of the match when he ordered his players off the field of play in protest against the referee’s decision.

“Rahman Gumbo was fined a sum of $2 500 of which $500 was suspended for the rest of the 2017 season on condition the accused is not convicted of a similar offence. The effective fine of $2 000, together with the costs of the hearing, is to be paid by 30 November 2017.”

The Ad hoc Committee, which was set-up by the PSL to look at the abandoned game, made the decision to award the match to Yadah Stars on a 3-0 scoreline. The Bulawayo side were also banned from participating in next year’s Chibuku tournament and fined $2 000 for the offence.

Chicken Inn refused to play the remaining minutes of the match after the referee had awarded a penalty to Yadah in the 89th minute. They argued the referee’s decision was not fair and demonstrated their anger by walking away.

Referee Munyaradzi Majoni awarded Yadah a late penalty after defender Moses Jackson was adjudged to have impeded Milton Makopa with the teams goalless going into the tense final moments of the game. Gumbo summoned his players to the touchline, ordering them not to continue with the match unless the decision was reversed. Match commissioner Nelson Kusosa said the match was called off after the officials waited for over 30 minutes for the former league champions to return to the pitch but to no avail.