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THE 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season was deemed a big success overall as Ngezi Platinum Stars wrestled the championship title from rivals, FC Platinum while Dynamos finally won the Chibuku Super Cup.

The only blemish for the 2023 season was the abandoned match between Highlanders and Dynamos at Barbourfields on September 10. There were ugly scenes at the venue leading to the arrest of several hooligans.

It was a very bad advert for the Premier Soccer League and it resulted in a controversial start to the 2024 season when PSL chairman Farai Jere spoke of the Barbourfields incident and its implications to the brand.

Speaking on the sidelines of the unveiling of a new sponsorship deal by Delta Beverages, Jere said the rowdy behaviour of Highlanders and Dynamos fans was not good for Zimbabwe football hence the two giants were made to play on the opening weekend. 

The sentiments were captured on video and went viral, triggering an angry joint press statement by the two clubs.

“Dynamos FC and Highlanders FC jointly condemn the inflammatory remarks made by Premier League Chairman, Mr Farai Jere, regarding our clubs. His characterisation of Highlanders and Dynamos as violent teams is not only reckless but also deeply concerning. Such allegations have the potential to damage the reputation and integrity of our esteemed clubs, as well as undermine the spirit of fair play in Zimbabwean football.

“We categorically reject Mr Jere’s remarks and call for them to be unequivocally condemned. As pillars of the Zimbabwean football community, Highlanders FC and Dynamos FC have long stood for values of sportsmanship, integrity, and respect. We have worked tirelessly to promote these principles both on and off the field, and we will not allow baseless accusations to tarnish our hard-earned reputation,” read part of the statement.

The parties later engaged to iron out their differences. Then came Week 5 of the season when CAPS United, owned by Jere, went to Mandava for a match against former champions FC Platinum last Saturday. CAPS United were trailing 1-0 in the 86th minute and thought they had equalised when the assistant referee raised his flag to signal an offside offence in the build-up to the disallowed effort.

The visiting fans then invaded the pitch, forcing the match officials to scurry for cover and the inevitable abandonment of the match.

The ugly scenes presented a nightmare for Jere, who has been on a mission to keep the league violence-free, in his dual capacity as CAPS United director and PSL chairman.

What complicated the situation were the comments about Highlanders and Dynamos fans. To his credit, Jere did not waste time and issued a statement, from abroad, condemning the CAPS United hooligans.   

He immediately pleaded guilty on behalf of CAPS United and issued an apology to stakeholders despite the temptation to call on match officials to stay professional.

However, the Mandava incident helped reveal that clubs still have a lot of work to do in as far as respect is concerned. The English Football Association has Respect as a behavioural code for football, which is a continuous programme.

Respect is the collective responsibility of everyone involved in football, at all levels, to create a fair, safe and enjoyable environment in which the game can take place. 

Two levels of CAPS United were found wanting at Mandava. First was the media team doing the live updates of the match.

Posting on the CAPS United’s X handle, the administrator said: 

“Kawondera scores a clear goal and lines man rules it off side. Such officiating is what provokes fans leading to pitch invasions.”

The post is still there. 

Fans then invaded the pitch and caused the abandonment of the match. The reality is CAPS United incited violence through its official social media handle. It was an unprofessional post and failure to delete it up to now does not look good on Jere and the club.

Social media handles are there to push professionalism on behalf of the club and here the CAPS United X handle was worse than the pitch invaders. 

And, inevitably, coach Lloyd Chitembwe then called the referee “stupid” in a post-match interview, which was on video and went viral. Unfortunately, the comments could only embolden the hooligans.

CAPS United later issued a statement condemning the hooliganism at Mandava while the coach and the media team escaped public censure. 

That remains a problem for Jere and the rest of the league. The best way of protecting the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League brand is for clubs and their officials to be professional when they make public statements.

Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas, is also facing PSL charges after attacking match officials after their defeat at Manica Diamonds.

It is hoped the disciplinary cases later this month will help PSL clubs realise the need to rein in inflammatory comments by officials. The referees should also take time to review and reflect on some of their actions so that the beautiful game does not turn into a jungle.