Zimbabwean football giants Highlanders supporters yesterday left soccer governing officials facing an unprecedented dilemma after they boycotted their own team’s 2-0 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League victory over ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo in protest against corruption in the game.
The boycott was called to protest against local football authorities – the Premier Soccer Leauge and Zimbabwe Football Association – for what Bosso supporters say is “match-fixing, corruption and criminality” in the game sponsored by some corrupt cash-awash owners in collaboration with depraved football authorities.
The PSL is chaired by Farai Jere, while Kennedy Ndebele is the chief executive. The Zifa Normalisation Committee is led by Lincoln Mutasa.
The boycott was sparked by a recently abandoned tense match between Highlanders and Simba Bhora in the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup after a last-minute penalty was awarded to the hosts despite that the purported infringement leading to it had clearly taken place outside the box.
Highlanders walked away from the spot, thus resulting in the penalty not being taken.
The match was awarded to Simba Bhora, although the referees were suspended, while Bosso was fined US$6000 much to the chagrin of its multitudes of fans.
This led to yesterday unusual events, which included fund-raising to get the US$6000 fine, as football authorities were left in an awkward position.
