Scottland Usurp MWOS After Being Awarded Full Points From Abandoned Match
Scottland Football Club, owned by ZANU PF MP Pedzai Sakupwanya, climbed to the top of the Northern Region Soccer League on Monday after being awarded a 3-0 victory over Karoi United for an abandoned match.
With this decision, Scottland now holds 84 points from 37 games, leading MWOS by two points, who have 82 points from the same number of matches.
The match between the two teams at Chikangwe Stadium in Karoi was abandoned in the 88th minute with the score tied at 1-1.
The Northern Region Soccer League Disciplinary Committee found Karoi United guilty of causing the match abandonment based on referee Martin Dingo’s report.
Allegedly, Dingo had opted to officiate the Division One fixture instead of a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match scheduled for the same weekend.
He reported being struck by a missile thrown by a Karoi United fan, preventing him from completing the final two minutes of the game.
Football stakeholders suspect corruption in handling the matter, given the departure from precedent in dealing with abandoned matches.
For example, in 2018, a match between Bindura United and Mushowani Stars was abandoned in the 80th minute at 2-2 after referee Langton Chitata was assaulted by an unknown assailant.
Bindura was fined US$1500, and Mushowani was cautioned, but the 2-2 result stood.
Similarly, in the following season, a Northern Region Soccer League match between Black Rhinos and Mushowani was abandoned in the 80th minute, also at 2-2, after referee Nelson Mawanda was assaulted.
Both Rhinos and Mushowani were fined US$2000, but the 2-2 result remained.
In contrast, for the Karoi United vs. Scottland match, the Disciplinary Committee cancelled the 1-1 scoreline and awarded Scottland the win, benefiting them with just one match left in the season and providing a clear advantage over MWOS.
Scottland will host Black Mambas at Rufaro Stadium, while MWOS will face Agama at Ngoni Stadium on Friday in the final round of fixtures.
MWOS can still secure the sole ticket to the Premier Soccer League if they win and Scottland draw, thanks to their superior goal difference of plus-3.
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