Caps United kicked out of Chibuku

SUMMARY OF AD-HOC COMMITTEE SITTING (17th OCTOBER 2017)

OFFENCE; Contravention of section 8.8 CHIBUKU SUPER CUP RULES AND REGULATIONS (2017) Causing abandonment of the match between Shabani Mine FC and Caps United FC on 8th October 2017 played at Maglas Stadium, Zvishavane.

Summary of facts
On the 8th October 2017 the Chibuku Super Cup Quarter Final match between Shabani Mine Football Club and Caps United Football Club played at Maglas Stadium, Zvishavane was abandoned in the 65th minute. 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. At the time of abandonment of the game Shabani Mine Football Club was leading 1-0.

FINDINGS:
The committee in coming up with a determination considered reports submitted by the Match Referee Mr Philani Ncube, the Match Commissioner Mr Gladmore Muzambi,the head of Security Inspector Nyakurerwa(standing in for Officer in Charge ZRP Zvishavane), as well as reports by the two clubs. By and large the two clubs officials who attended the inquiry meeting further gave oral evidence which basically confirmed material aspects of what the two clubs said in their reports. The dispute centred on who caused the abandonment of the match.

It is common cause that the match was abandoned in the 65th minute by the referee Mr Philan Ncube following the 2nd Assistant referee Mr Thomas Kusosa's injury.

It is not disputable that missiles were thrown at the 2nd Assistant Referee Mr Thomas Kusosa and one of these missiles hit him causing an injury above the left eye.

It is not disputable that the cause of missile throwing was anger by Caps United Football Club 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.

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.

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.

We therefore hold Caps United Football Club responsible for causing the abandonment of this match.

Consequently, the club is fined $2000.00 (Two thousand dollars).The match is awarded to Shabani 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.