The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HERENTALS Football Club have had their ejection from the Premier Soccer League for taking football matters to court overturned by the Zimbabwe Football Association Appeals Committee.
In a judgment released on Friday, the Stead Kachere- headed Zifa Appeals Committee reversed the decision made by the PSL Disciplinary Committee in March, which found Herentals guilty of taking football matters to court.
“The conviction by the Appellants made by the PSL Disciplinary Committee on 24 March 2020 for contravening Article 53 of the PSL Statutes is upheld,’’ read part of the verdict.
Furthermore, the fine of ZWL$100 000 imposed on Herentals by the PSL Disciplinary Committee was reduced by the Zifa Appeals Committee, with the Students to pay ZWL$70 000 instead, an amount they have to settle by the end of July.
“The fine imposed by the PSL Disciplinary Committee upon the Appellant is hereby altered and it is hereby ordered that the Appellant shall pay a fine of seventy thousand dollars ($70 000 ZWL) by the 31st of July 2020.”
Herentals had their expulsion from the PSL quashed as long as the club is not found at fault of a similar offence within a five-year period.
“The expulsion of the Appellant from being a member of the Premier Soccer League is hereby set aside and the expulsion is suspended on condition that the Appellant shall not within a period five (5) years from date of this judgment commit the same offence of taking football matters to court,’’ concluded the judgment.
Herentals were in March found guilty since they had not yet withdrawn the case from the courts. It is the second time that Herentals have got joy after approaching the Zifa Appeals Committee to overturn a decision made by the PSL Disciplinary Committee. Herentals in March successfully reversed the verdict by the PSL Disciplinary Committee to find them guilty in a match-fixing for allegedly manipulating their league encounter against Black Rhinos.
The Student had been docked three points and slapped with a fine of $300 000 after being found guilty on charges of employing dirty tactics to secure three points against Black Rhinos last year. It meant Herentals had kept their PSL slot, something they have done once again with the latest joy from the Zifa Appeals Committee ruling in their favour.
@Mdawini_29
