Bosso did not appeal Dembare ruling

HIGHLANDERS did not lodge a formal appeal with the Zifa Appeals Committee over the Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee's ruling to fine Bosso $4 000 and award Dynamos three points on a 3-0 score line for the abandoned May 4 league tie at Barbourfields Stadium.

The revelations come amid numerous pronouncements by Highlanders' acting chairman Modern Ngwenya that a formal appeal had been lodged over the "shocking decision to award Dynamos maximum points" after the game was abandoned in the 42nd minute following crowd trouble.

"It's natural that we are going to appeal to the Zifa Appeals Committee. We want this game to be finalised on the field of play. We are obviously pushing for a replay from the 42nd minute. That would be the fairest thing to do," Ngwenya said after the disciplinary committee verdict.

According to the statutes, the appeal ought to have been made within seven days of receipt of the judgment and accompanied by a $3 000 non-refundable fee.

However, both Zifa and the PSL have confirmed that they never received any appeal or payment from the Bulawayo giants.

"The Premier Soccer League has not received an appeal from Highlanders FC as stipulated under Oder 35 of the PSL Rules and Regulations. Order 35 states that any appeal against the decision of the PSL disciplinary committee shall be noted to the Zifa Appeals Board as defined in Article 49 of the PSL Statutes.

"Such appeal shall be noted, within seven days from the date of the judgment; shall be forwarded in duplicate to the chief executive officer; shall be accompanied by a mandatory non-refundable stipulated fee (in this case a sum of $3 000); shall be in writing and shall set out clearly and concisely the grounds of appeal.

"If any appeal is not noted within the time set up above, then the appeal shall become prescribed and neither the appeals committee nor the league shall have the power to condone the failure to file the appeal timeously," said PSL media and liaison officer Kudzi Bare.

Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela said Bosso only forwarded a letter of appeal without the requisite payment.

"Zifa only received a letter which was not accompanied by proof of payment for the appeal fee and it therefore renders that letter just an ordinary piece of paper," said Gwesela.

However, Ngwenya claimed on Wednesday that "everything is under control" and expressed confidence that their case would still be heard.

Meanwhile, businessman and socialite Wicknell Chivayo says his offer to pay the $4 000 fine imposed on Bosso still stands.

Chivayo, who took to social media in June to announce his benevolence to Highlanders, which he claims to have supported since his primary school days at Avoca in Insiza district, said he didn't pay the fine on the advice of Bosso acting chairman Ngwenya.

He said Ngwenya indicated to him that the club had lodged an appeal, which automatically suspended all sanctions.

Contacted on Wednesday, the free spending businessman said: "Modern Ngwenya said I must wait for his instructions as they have filed an appeal with Zifa. He said filing an appeal automatically suspends all proceedings, but once he tells me to pay it, I will do so within minutes."

When informed that the club had actually not appealed as a result of their failure to pay the $3 000 appeals' fee, Chivayo said his offer was to pay the $4 000 fine.

"I offered to pay the fine," he said.