Karoi United Accuse Referee Of Faking Injury To End Match Prematurely
Karoi United Football Club, a Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL) team, has refuted allegations that its fans were involved in hooliganism leading to the abandonment of their match against Scottland at Chikangwe Stadium on Sunday.
Reports indicate that the game was called off following an alleged assault on referee Mathew Dingo by unruly spectators, a claim Karoi United vehemently denies.
Scottland, owned by ZANU PF Member of Parliament Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya, is competing for the title but is currently trailing behind log leaders MWOS.
In their statement, Karoi United suggested that 32-year-old Mathew Dingo may have “faked” an injury to justify the match’s abandonment in the 88th minute, with the score level at 1-1. Reads the statement:
Karoi United FC wishes to categorically dismiss the false reports circulating on social media alleging that our fans were involved in acts of violence during the match against Scotland FC at Chikangwe Stadium on Sunday, 15 September 2024.
These reports have left our club and supporters both shocked and dismayed, especially as they seem to be distorted to serve the unsporting motives of certain match officials.
These actions undermine the integrity of Karoi United FC and the entire Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL).
To clarify, there was no violence at Chikangwe Stadium. The incident in question involved a match ball that was thrown back into the field of play by a spectator, accidentally striking the centre referee.
The referee reacted by rolling on the ground, a reaction we believe to have been exaggerated to disrupt the match.
The referee’s subsequent claim that Karoi United supporters intentionally threw the ball at him is both unfounded and misleading.
We wish to make it clear that the ball merely went out of play and was returned to the field in the normal course of the game. Any suggestion that this was a deliberate act of violence is entirely false.
The referee’s exaggerated reaction-falling and rolling on the ground-was unwarranted given the circumstances.
Moreover, the referee’s ability to walk off the field unassisted clearly indicates that he was not as hurt as he tried to portray.
Despite offers to take him to a private hospital for a medical examination, the referee refused, raising doubts about his injury claims’ legitimacy.
Following the incident, Scotland FC supporters began declaring the match over and made their way to their buses, further suggesting that this was a premeditated ploy.
Despite the tense atmosphere, we would like to thank our supporters for remaining peaceful throughout. At halftime, referee Dingo informed our coach, Wonder Ngoko, that he was unwilling to continue officiating, citing an inability to handle the pressure.
Even after our player, Edmore Mubatapasango, was shown a red card, our supporters maintained their composure, with no pitch invasion or attempts to confront the referee.
Karoi United FC is committed to fair play and maintaining the integrity of the game. We urge the Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL) and the Referee Association to take this matter seriously and conduct a thorough investigation.
The integrity of the league depends on the transparency and honesty of its officials, and incidents like this must be addressed to preserve the spirit of football.
Karoi United FC has submitted its report to the Northern Region Soccer League and remains steadfast in its dedication to sportsmanship.
We call for an unbiased review of this incident to protect the values we all uphold in the beautiful game.
More: Pindula News
