CAPS withdraw Chibuku appeal

By Nigel Matongorere  

CAPS United have withdrawn their appeal against the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Ad hoc Committee ruling which booted them out of the Chibuku Super Cup.

Makepekepe were found guilty of causing the abandonment of their Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final against Shabanie Mine at Maglas Stadium earlier this month.

United supporters threw missiles onto the pitch after Kudzai Nyamufukudza’s goal was ruled out for offside in the 65th minute.

Assistant referee Thomas Kusosa was struck by one of the missiles and could not continue forcing the match officials to call off the match with Shabanie leading 1-0.

However, after the PSL Ad hoc Committee last week delivered a judgment against Makepekepe, the club had approached the Zifa Appeals Committee for recourse.

“I can confirm that CAPS United have withdrawn their case before the Zifa Appeals Committee and there will be no further comments beyond that,” Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela told the Daily News.

Makepekepe were also fined $2 000 for the disturbances that rocked Maglas on that afternoon but had handed in their appeal on the basis that Shabanie Mine fans had also thrown missiles onto the pitch.

“It is not disputable that missiles were thrown at the 2nd Assistant Referee …Kusosa and one of these missiles hit him causing an injury above the left eye,” the judgment read.

“It is not disputable that the cause of missile throwing was anger by CAPS…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…Kusosa injuring him.

“CAPS…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 Shabanie…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.”

Despite the cloud of CAPS United’s appeal overshadowing the competition, the Chibuku Super Cup semi-finals went ahead on Sunday in a double header at Barbourfields Stadium.

Harare City were able to book their place in the final courtesy of a 1-0 win over Bulawayo City in the early kick-off.

The Sunshine Boys, who won the competition back in 2015, will meet How Mine in next month’s final after the gold miners beat Shabanie 3-1 in the second semi-final. Daily News