Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League matches set to resume next week

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League games are now scheduled to resume next week, PSL boss Farai Jere confirmed to the media.

The return comes a week after the PSL had, with immediate effect and until further notice, suspended all upcoming premier soccer league matches.

The halt came as a result of last week’s crowd trouble at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo during a match pitting two giants Highlanders and Dynamos FC.

The game was abandoned after fans from both teams took turns to invade the pitch forcing the match commissioner to call the epic fixture off.

Speaking on the swift resumption of the top flight football programme, Jere said: “We don’t have time to waste, the PSL suspension has just a one week duration.

“We put it on hold for just this weekend as I feel it was very necessary to put everything on standby just for one week to make sure that we are all aligned.”

And following the decision to suspend all the league games due to two clubs whose fans were the root cause there was disgruntlement especially from the other sixteen clubs who felt it was unfair for them to bear the Bosso-DeMbare burden.

But despite these disgruntlements and the criticism, Jere added: “When decisions are made, 90% of great decisions don’t please everyone, even at household level. In most cases, 90% of those decisions will be correct.

“A number of people I have spoken to asked me why I made that decision but they supported me. Even the Zifa vice-president (Gift Banda) called me this morning and asked me the same but he said he fully supports my decision because it’s a noble decision.

“At times you guys lack information which I have because of our different levels and people end up speculating because of their thoughts.

“Yes, we all have a right to do that but my reason for making the decision to suspend the games, is premised on the fact that the issue at Barbourfields happened two weeks after the Mandava situation.”

On Sunday, Bosso fans entered the pitch to celebrate Washington Navaya’s 92nd header which gave their side a lead with nearly twelve minutes left to the referee’s final whistle.

Their counterparts, the DeMbare fans then also entered the pitch protesting against Bosso’s goal arguing the goal was not supposed to count.

They felt Dynamos defender Shadreck Nyahwa who was lying on the pitch holding his head was fouled and the referee was supposed to stop the match due to the head injury.

The DeMbare supporters also went on to claim that their goalkeeper Taimon Mvula was fouled in the build up to the goal.

The Glamour Boys’ fans then invaded the pitch, tried to uproot the goal posts, destroyed the perimeter fence and tore the nets.

This led to the abandonment of the match because even the PSL bosses’ attempt to replace the net and let the game continue also hit a brick wall.