An Independent disciplinary committee appointed by the Premier Soccer League has found Highlanders guilty of contravening the PSL Regulations following the abandonment of their Chibuku Super Cup quarterfinal clash with Simba Bhora last month. 

The match was abandoned after Simba Bhora was controversially handed a late penalty.

Highlanders players and officials protested the decision and left the pitch arguing the foul had taken place outside the box.

In their judgment, the DC has awarded the match to Simba Bhora on a 3-0 scoreline, while Highlanders have also been fined $6000. Simba Bhora will now proceed to the semi-finals of the competition.

However, $4000 has been suspended on condition that the Bulawayo giants are not found guilty of any offence that brings the game of football into disrepute for the remainder of this season.

Meanwhile, the committee acknowledged the poor officiating by the referees and also stressed the need of better officiating standards, and the need to address numerous complaints made by clubs in the league.

Part of the judgment following the hearing reads: 

1. In terms of the Regulations (Paragraph 8.8), the offence attracts a mandatory fine of not less than $6000.00 and the match is awarded to the opposing team 3-0 winning score line or more if the opposing team already reached a higher score. The regulations allow the DC to impose further penalties. There is no doubt that the performance of the referees was poor. They were sanctioned for their poor performance. Some weight has to be given to this important fact in the mitigation of sentences. Ignoring this will result in an injustice and a legal absurdity. We have also taken note of the fact that Highlanders FC have already been fined $6000-00 for the violent behavior of its fans during the same match. We resolved to give additional weight to this and treat the two offences together for purposes of assessing the penalty. It is for these reasons that we will use our discretion to depart from the minimum mandatory sentence and not impose additional penalties.
2. Having said that, we must impose a fine that sends a message to all clubs that the law of the jungle will not be tolerated. Clubs must not take the law into their own hands. We will not trivialize the offence which, without doubt, brought the game and the sponsors into disrepute. What makes this more serious is the fact that the abandonment was not caused by supporters but by players (led by the team captain) and team officials who should know better and lead by example. The club has shown no contrition at all. It continues to justify this errand behavior by its players who were clearly being urged on by members of the technical team. This must be condemned. Such behavior is not expected from one of the oldest football institutions in the country. Players and officials must understand that football is a very emotional game and whatever action they take in protest of unjust decisions must at the end of day protect the integrity of the game.
3. Before we conclude, this matter must also state that football authorities responsible for referees must take action to holistically and permanently address complaints regarding the performance of referees in a manner that restores and builds the confidence of stakeholders. These have been repeatedly raised in a number of matters that have been brought before us. While we take judicial notice of all these complaints, aggrieved parties must ensure that their grievances are resolved in terms of through due process and in a manner that complies with the rule of law.
4. The accused, Highlanders FC, is hereby sentenced to pay a fine of US$6000.00 (Six Thousand United States dollars). Of this amount, $4000 is suspended on condition that the club is not found guilty of any offence that brings the game of football into disrepute for the remainder of this season. The effective fine of $2000-00 together with the costs of the hearing, shall be paid within two weeks of receipt of this judgment. The abandoned match be and is hereby awarded to Simba Bhora FC on a 3 nil scoreline.