KWEKWE United failed to fulfil their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League home match against Herentals that was scheduled for Monday at Bata Stadium.
The Premier Soccer League released a Press statement late on Monday, saying the match failed to take place and it was awaiting reports to determine the way forward.
What is most likely to happen is that Herentals will be awarded three points.
That is the most appropriate punishment for a newly-promoted financially-strapped side?
The issue has been dominating discussions in football circles.
Some suggested the expulsion of Kwekwe United from the league.
We can't help but agree with a such proposal.
The league looks amateurish when a team fails to turn up for its home match.
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We can't run a national top-flight league like a boozers league.
The club should have ensured its house was in order well before being promoted to the top league.
Or it should have sold the franchise to those interested in investing in the game of football on being promoted to the premier league. If everything else failed, it should have pulled out before the season kicked off.
Teams should not be getting points on a silver platter.
The authorities should apply club licensing rules, which require all teams to prove that they have the financial muscle to participate in the league, without fear or favour.
The Kwekwe United fiasco takes us back to the point we made two weeks ago that we should have a single division one soccer league.
That way, such a challenge could have been obviated.
Because club licensing rules are not being adhered to, so many challenges are arising.
It will be great if Kwekwe United sort out their problems and fulfil their fixture this week, so that other teams do not feel hard done after Herentals get three without breaking sweat?
It is, of course, not Herentals' problem, but Kwekwe United cannot be allowed to donate points at will and play when they feel like.
Tell-tale signs started to show when the players refused to train ahead of their trip to Kariba and arrived at the match venue in batches.
That is when the club officials should have acted or done the honourable thing — withdraw from the league.
We hope authorities have learned from this case and will, in the future, put measures in place to vet clubs to determine if they have what it takes to participate in the top-flight league.
Kwekwe United shortchanged fans who wanted to watch their match against Herentals, which does not augur well for a club that was recently promoted to the top flight league.
Are we respecting the league sponsor when matches are not fulfilled, not because of the weather, but due to a team’s failure to turn up — at home for that matter?
