THE Zambian Premier League (ZPL) has expressed concern over the rising incidents of hooliganism and unsportsmanship behaviour during league matches.

Recent occurrences include missile-throwing by fans at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium during the Week 15 Kitwe derby involving Power Dynamos and Nkana FC.

Others are Week 17 matches at Railway Stadium in Kabwe between Kabwe Warriors and Nkana as well as the Atletico Lusaka versus Zesco United at Nkoloma Stadium, which were all characterised with fans engaging in acts of misconduct, disrupting matches and endangering lives.

ZPL Chairman, Kephas Katongo, has assured stakeholders that the league will thoroughly investigate these and other incidents and take decisive action to uphold the integrity of the league. 

“The alarming rise in such behaviour is unacceptable and must be curbed immediately. We would like to issue a strong warning to fans, coaches, players, and referees regarding hooliganism and unsportsmanship. 

“With our league followed across the continent and beyond, we must protect the image of Zambian football. Every football fan understands that the game has three possible results, and all must be accepted in the spirit of sportsmanship,” Katongo said.

He further urged security personnel at stadia to strictly enforce law and order, emphasising that some actions by fans border on criminality and must be treated as such.

Katongo also reiterated that the sale of beer, particularly in bottles, is prohibited in stadia as it poses a significant safety risk. 

He also reminded referees of their responsibility to officiate matches fairly and warned that any referee found to have performed poorly will face the necessary consequences.

“ZPL will not hesitate to ban individuals, including referees, whose actions disrupt the game. With modern technologies available to capture events during matches, accountability will be enforced,” he added.

This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS Sports by ZPL Head of Communications, Christina Zulu.