Stiff penalties for Dynamos, referee

Team fined R150 000, Phungula banned for life

THE Chatsworth-based ABC Motsepe League football team, Summerfield Dynamos, received a R150 000 fine this week for bringing the game into disrepute.

The hefty penalty was handed to the club by a disciplinary committee of the South African Football Association (Safa).

Dynamos were found guilty of spectator misconduct, failure to provide adequate security and bringing an official match and competition into disrepute.

The charges related to a video that went viral, showing a group of Dynamos fans assaulting referee Mongezi Phungula after their match against Experience XI at the Chatsworth Stadium last month.

Fans were apparently disgruntled with the match official’s handling of the clash that Dynamos lost 2-1.

Phungula was hit hardest by the probe as the disciplinary committee banned him from all football-related activities for life, citing that he “managed the match in a manner of a preconceived result”.

The committee’s judgment read: “The match commissioner, as well as assistant referee 1 and 2 corroborate each other in relation to the dubious decisions that the referee took during the match. The referee denied Dynamos what looked a clear goal then a minute later awarded a penalty.

“It cannot be taken lightly that the said referee (Phungula) overruled his assistants by ignoring their flags – this conduct indicated that he managed the match in a manner of preconceived result, in favour of IX Experience, and was unfair and prejudicial towards Dynamos.”

“Every weekend referees are getting bought off, it’s the sad reality,” said former professional footballer and administrator Enzo Coppola.

“I am not surprised by a situation like this. I knew many years ago that corruption in these leagues was rife.”

Coppola says the arduous process of reaching the upper echelons of professional football contributes to corrupt activities.

“The system is completely wrong, it is so difficult to get promoted because you have to win the league and then go through a play-off, so people want to take a shortcut,” he added.

It has also been ordered that the game be replayed in Pietermaritzburg, a neutral venue for both teams, on March 31.

It is a decision that will suit Ronnie Gabriel’s Dynamos side that has since beaten Maritzburg City and Umvoti FC in their last two matches and continue their fight for league honours in the third tier of South African football.

Dynamos remain top of the log, five points clear with just four games to go.

Winning the Kwazulu-natal stream would qualify Dynamos for the national play-offs, where the winner would play professional football in the National First Division.

“It is a stiff fine but we have to take responsibility for what transpired. We are remorseful and have learnt a lot from this,” club boss Collin Naidoo said.

Naidoo said they accepted the committee’s decision to re-fixture the XI Experience match.

He said the club had met their supporters to stress that violence would not be condoned. Security would be beefed up and they have asked the SAPS to attend their home matches.

| SIBONELO NGCOBO