Johnson Progress

The Premier Soccer League has hit Hardrock FC and Dynamos FC with US$10,000 fines each, stadium sanctions and stricter oversight after crowd trouble forced the abandonment of their Castle Lager PSL clash at Chahwanda Stadium on 24 May 2026.

The PSL Disciplinary Committee delivered judgment, finding both clubs responsible for the breakdown of order that ended Matchday 14 prematurely.

The Committee ruled that Hardrock and Dynamos were culpable for the abandonment, pitch invasions, violence and disruption.

It said in its statement: “The Disciplinary Committee found both Hardrock FC and Dynamos FC guilty of causing the abandonment of the match, pitch invasion, acts of violence, improper conduct and disrupting the normal proceedings of the match.”

The charges did not stop there.

Dynamos were also found liable for damaging stadium infrastructure, while Hardrock were faulted for failing as hosts to secure the venue.

The Committee noted that “Dynamos were guilty of malicious damage to the perimeter fence at Chahwanda Stadium.”

It added that, “Hardrock failed to provide adequate security as the home team.”

The sanctions are wide-ranging.

“Hardrock must pay US$10,000, with US$2,000 suspended for the rest of the season provided there are no further similar offences.”

“The club will also play one home fixture behind closed doors and must submit a revised Match Security Management Plan to the PSL Chief Executive within 30 days.”

Dynamos face a US$10,000 fine without suspension and a compliance regime designed to tighten control of their supporters.

The club has been told to submit a formal crowd management and stewarding plan to the PSL CEO within 30 days.

“It must also file a written report after every away match for the rest of the season confirming the measures taken to manage travelling fans.”

The Committee resolved the unfinished match.

It ordered that the remaining minutes of the abandoned fixture be played behind closed doors at a neutral venue under PSL match protocols.

Hardrock’s Chief Executive Officer, Kudzanai Hove, was also sanctioned.

“The Committee found him guilty of disorderly conduct, pitch invasion and violent behaviour,” the statement read.

“He has been suspended from all football-related activities for the remainder of the 2026 season and fined US$5,000.”

The judgment underscores a tougher line from the league.

Both clubs were held jointly responsible for the abandonment and the scenes that followed.

The Committee detailed that both Hardrock FC and Dynamos FC were found guilty of causing the abandonment of the match, pitch invasion, acts of violence, improper conduct and disrupting the normal proceedings of the match.

For Hardrock, the financial and operational penalties bite immediately.

They must pay US$8,000 now, with a further US$2,000 hanging over them if crowd trouble recurs this campaign.

Losing a home gate through the closed-door sanction adds further pressure at a busy stage of the season.

The club must also overhaul its security approach and lodge a revised plan with the league within a month.

Dynamos avoid a stadium ban but face ongoing scrutiny.

The US$10,000 fine is coupled with a requirement to submit a formal crowd management and stewarding plan to the PSL CEO within 30 days.

Beyond that, the Glamour Boys must submit a written report after each away fixture for the remainder of the season confirming the measures taken to manage its travelling supporters.

The decision on the match itself avoids awarding points or nullifying the fixture.

Instead, the Committee ordered that the remaining minutes of the abandoned Matchday 14 fixture between Hardrock FC and Dynamos FC be played behind closed doors at a neutral venue under the protocols of the PSL.

For Hove, the season ends in the stands.

The Committee concluded he engaged in disorderly and violent conduct and entered the pitch.

It therefore suspended him from all football related activities for the remainder of the 2026 season and ordered him to pay a fine of US$5,000.

The rulings come amid heightened attention on fan behaviour in Zimbabwean football.

With both clubs chasing points and reputations, the league has signalled that disorder carries financial, competitive and administrative costs.

For supporters, the message is stark: “pitch invasions, violence and property damage will trigger fines, closed doors, executive bans and neutral-venue completions. Clubs now have 30 days to present new security and stewarding plans, and Dynamos must prove control on the road for the rest of the season.”

When the match resumes, it will be without spectators and away from Chahwanda, a reminder that the consequences of chaos now extend beyond the final whistle.