By Rex Mphisa
SOCCER supporters have scoffed at and labelled a lie referee Mhaka Magare’s match report of his violent abandoned match between Hardrock FC at home against Dynamos where he claims to have seen supporters of the latter start trouble.
The fans believe if he saw what was happening in the stands to the extend of knowing who started trouble, he must have taken his eyes of the ball and contributed immensely to the disturbances.
“How does a referee of such a tense match see what is happening in the terraces to such a level? He either was not doing his core business or has been influenced on what to write,” said a fan on the Central Region soccer supporters Whatsapp Group.
Magare awarded a controversial penalty during the match and all hell broke loose.
Several Dynamos fans were injured in the melees that followed his decision after they were mobbed, outnumbered and subdued by Hardrock officials and fans captured on numerous video footages.
In his 338 word report Magare claimed Dynamos fans started throwing missiles to Hardrock fans in the stands, detail only a person directly following events there can make, yet he was the official in the centre.
“Someone paid him to write that rubbish. He must nit play with people’s live and that must be his very last match, he is terrible, I share the view he took his eyes off the ball and is making statements up under influence,” said another supporter.
“We had a match Hardrock fe v Dynamos fc on 24/05/2026, Mhaka Magare Referee, Brilliant Sibanda Arl Phikisani Ndlovu Ar2, Match Commissioner Mr Ruzive Ruzive,” he wrote in that broken construction.
“Before the match, when we were in the dressing room after warming up, preparing to go for kick-off, the Match Commissioner came and advised us to delay kick-off while the security was trying to control the crowd at the entrance gates, the match kicked off at 15:30hrs,” he wrote.
He said he had to “abandon” the match in the 76th minute awarding a penalty kick to Hardrock fc in the 67th minute for a handball offence in the penalty area.
“The Dynamos players and Technical officials disputed the decision with players #32 Shadreck Nyahwa, #3 Hastings Chapusha, #12 Witness Shave push me which caused a stoppage of 5 minutes and then the penalty kick was taken and Hardrock Fc scored in 72nd minute,” he wrote.
“The match proceeded, while the match was in play the Dynamos supporters started throwing missiles (bottles, canes and stones) towards Hardrock supporters which led to exchange of missiles.”
“The Dynamos supporters were the first to invade the pitch and Hardrock supporters entered too, that’s when we the match officials ran towards dressing rooms for safe but the Dynamos Technical officials and substitutes blocked our way from leaving the pitch saying we should not run away because we are to blame then we later managed to gain entry to the dressing roo,” said Magare
He said they stayed until Ruzive called him when the pitch was cleared he decided to call off the match to poor lighting.
Fans have blamed the referee alleging the penalty he awarded may have been a first in football.
“The player accused of handling was breaking a fall with his hands when the ball hit him and his legs were outside the box. It an only be a penalty to someone whose eyes were in the terraces, not one refereeing such a match,” said another supporter.
Several people including the chief executive have been arrested in connection with the disturbances.
The Premier Soccer League has already charged both teams expected for a hearing early June.
It has since been established there was inadequate security at the Chahwanda Stadium where the home team only deployed between 20 and 40 of the recommended 80 policemen.
The stadium was crowded when more than it capacity entered for the high profile match.
Some fans have alleged Hardrock carried forward a culture of violence from Division One after similar incidences were witnessed at Bata Stadium against Sheasham FC which later withdrew citing unfair handling of issues.