BAN ON NKANA FC REDUCED

The FAZ Appeals Committee has reduced the fine handed to Nkana Football Club for the crowd trouble that characterized the Week 20 match involving the 13-time champions and Red Arrows.

Nkana appealed the decision by the Disciplinary Committee to ban spectators for their home matches for the remainder of the season and fined them K150,000.

However, on appeal the ban on spectators was reduced to two home matches from the date of the initial verdict while the fine was slashed to K15, 000.

“The committee decided to reduce the ban on playing home matches without spectators from the rest of the season to two (02) matches with effect from 21st March 2022,” reads part of the verdict.

“The committee decided that Nkana should pay for the damages occasioned during the violence but are reprieved from paying for the losses incurred.”

Additionally, the verdict reads, “The committee decided that Nkana should pay K15, 000 within seven days from the date of communication of this decision.”

Nkana advanced six grounds of appeal among them the fact that they were not accorded an opportunity to appear in person, that it was wrong to base the decision to punish them partially based on the referees’ report, basing the decision on their past record, that apportioning all the damages to Nkana was wrong and not acknowledging that the home team was responsible for home security.

The Appeals Committee averred that the written submission by Nkana was enough disposition to decide on.
“The committee considered Article 31 (1) of the FAZ Disciplinary Code which says the facts contained in Match Officials reports are presumed accurate,” reads the verdict in part.
The committee cleared Red Arrows of any negligence on their part in terms of providing security.

Nkana was found guilty by the Disciplinary Committee for the violence that characterized their Week 20 match with Red Arrows at Nkoloma Stadium on January 22, 2022.