Innocent Kurira [email protected]
THE Confederation of African Football (CAF) decision to ban spectators from Zimbabwe’s next international match at the National Sports Stadium was prompted by two separate incidents during the Warriors’ recent clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Nicholas Moyo has said.
Moyo said Zimbabwe needed to separate the issue of the stadium’s homologation from the incidents that resulted in the CAF sanction.
Zimbabwe recently invested heavily in the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium, which was subsequently homologated to host international matches.
However, during the Warriors’ 2-1 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo last month, there was an incident at Gate Two before the match, followed by a pitch invasion after the final whistle.
“We have received communication from CAF to the effect that it’s a ban of spectators. We need to separate issues,” said Moyo.
“Zimbabwe has spent a lot of resources in the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium which has been homologated to play international matches.
“But having been homologated there were two major issues, the commotion at gate number two. There were people pushing the gate and there was a reaction from the police to try and stop people from pushing the gate and we lost one person and then after the match.
“And then after the match there was a pitch invasion, so it has to be clear the CAF decision came as a result of those two incidents.”
The Warriors’ return to the National Sports Stadium had been highly anticipated after Zimbabwe had been forced to use venues outside the country for home internationals during the stadium’s refurbishment and CAF restrictions.
The match against DRC marked a major occasion for Zimbabwean football, with the renovated stadium hosting a senior men’s international for the first time in several years.
