Harare, Zimbabwe | On September 15, Karoi United’s Peter Bhero likely went home excited to share with his family the news of his goal against a team that included former Warriors stars Ronald Pfumbidzai and Leroy Mavhunga.
If he’s detail-oriented, he might have pointed out that his goal actually canceled out Pfumbidzai’s opener, scored in the first half when Karoi hosted Scottland in a Northern Region Soccer League match at Chikangwe Stadium.
However, Bhero may have had a different story to tell his family yesterday, as the goal has since been erased from record books; the official result now shows Scottland winning 3-0.
The long-awaited decision regarding the match, which was abandoned in the 88th minute with the score at 1-1, was finally handed down yesterday.
Title-chasing Scottland received three points with a 3-0 scoreline awarded.
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The Northern Region Soccer League Disciplinary Committee found Karoi responsible for the match’s abandonment, citing the referee’s report that Martin Dingo, who had opted out of a Premier Soccer League (PSL) fixture to officiate this Division One game, was struck by an object and could not complete the last two minutes of the game.
Assuming a projectile was indeed thrown, as the match commissioner asserted throughout the hearing, how can it be definitively proven that a Karoi United supporter was responsible?
What guidelines apply when a referee is injured and cannot continue officiating?
Any thoughtful fan might question the timing of this decision, asking the Northern Region Soccer League why, if fair play was their aim, they didn’t resolve the case sooner to allow MWOS, Scottland’s title rivals, a fighting chance.
The league administration overlooked its own regulations, which stipulate that such incidents should be resolved within 14 days.
Interestingly, is this the same Northern Region Soccer League that handled the 2018 case involving Bindura United and Mushowani Stars? In that incident, the game was abandoned in the 80th minute at 2-2 after the referee was assaulted by an intruder. Bindura was fined US$1,500, and Mushowani was cautioned, but the 2-2 result remained.
Similarly, in another Northern Region Soccer League match the following season, Black Rhinos faced Mushowani at Trojan Mine Stadium, but the game ended prematurely in the 80th minute at 2-2, following an attack on the referee. Both teams were fined US$2,000, yet the 2-2 result stood.
As a result of this recent decision, Scottland has jumped past MWOS to secure the top position, with only one match left in what has been a highly controversial season.
Ultimately, the 2024 Northern Region Soccer League title may be remembered not for events on the field, but for one of the most contentious decisions in professional sport’s recent history.
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