HOW MINE took pole position in the Castle Lager Premiership on Friday in the most bizarre of all the circumstances after their opponents Caps United refused to take to the pitch at Luveve demanding their dues from their bosses.
Neither club president Twine Phiri nor CEO Joe Makuvire were at the match venue and they mobile phones were off. Coach Mark Harrison was also not reachable.
Match commissioner declared the match as a walkover after a 55-minute wait that included negotiations with Caps players and PSL chief executive Kennedy Ndebele. With no result coming in, the match officials called the tie off, awarding the game to How Mine.
Caps players claim they have not been paid their February and March salaries, winning bonuses for the two matches against Whahwa and FC Platinum, their triumph in the Sino-Zim Cement Challenge Cup and coming second in the Bob91 Super Cup.
The latest developments come after prospective sponsor Zing (Blazingchilli) of South Africa pulled out of a deal to bankroll the club following misappropriation of $6500 during the club’s trip to Malawi before the start of the season where they played in the Zambezi Challenge Cup.
Caps, besides losing three points, will now face further PSL sanctions and the league will have to explain itself to its broadcasters, SuperSport who were at Luveve ready to beam the match live.
Ndebele said they will wait for the match commissioner’s report, but the rules state that in the event of a walkover, the team that would not have pitched up for the match loses on a 3-0 score line.
How Mine now have seven points from three matches, one ahead of Dynamos and Caps, who are second and third respectively.