Chaos in Zvishavane

fought running battles in Mandava after FC Platinum edged Shabanie 1-0 to extend their lead, in the championship race, to three points.

The stormy contest was settled by a disputed penalty, which caused a six-minute stoppage of the game in the first half, after Harare referee Ruzive Ruzive pointed to the spot after Donald Dombo tumbled under the challenge of Rodney Mware.
Shabanie players, who felt cheated by the referee’s decision to award the penalty, protested fiercely and threatened to walk away from the pitch as tempers flared.
Only the intervention of coach Luke Masomere and skipper Zvenyika Makonese, who urged the players to continue with the game, saved the match from ending prematurely.

Makonese was booed for every touch that he made by the FC Platinum fans, but to his credit, he remained composed as he directed the flow of his team’s challenge.
Shabanie have more fans in Zvishavane than FC Platinum but it was the platinum miners who were celebrating all night after a big win for them, achieved without coach Rahman Gumbo, who was away attending a funeral after losing his sister.

A full house 6 615 paying fans, the biggest crowd to watch a Premiership game at Mandava, converged in the stadium for the contest that attracted a fair share of Dynamos supporters who embedded with the Shabanie followers in support of the Chinda Boys.
Some Highlanders flags could be seen being waved in the bays housing FC Platinum supporters.

Ruzive’s decision to only play two of the six minutes of added time, indicated by the fourth official at the end of the first half, torched controversy as Shabanie fans fired missiles onto the pitch in protest.
Assistant referee Stella Ruvinga was struck on the head, during the chaos, and play had to be stopped in the second half as she received medical attention.

Shabanie coach Masomere said Ruzive’s decision to give FC Platinum the penalty was disappointing and turned the game in favour of his opponents.
“I was disappointed with the penalty. It changed the whole complexion of the match and I will not comment further,” said Masomere.
And when Shabanie’s appeals for a penalty were turned down, after Tawanda Mareya was brought down in the box, it worsened the anger among those fans who believed that there was a conspiracy to help FC Platinum’s cause.

But Shabanie defender Jonathan Chitereki, appeared to handle inside the box, with Ruzive again turning down appeals from FC Platinum for a penalty, which quashed any suggestions that the referee was playing in the platinum miners’ corner.
There was mayhem in the stands, especially on the bays housing the Shabanie fans, following the decision to award the penalty and the confusion that followed Ruzive’s decision to play two, instead of six, added minutes.

Police, to their credit, battled hard to restore order although the attack on assistant referee Ruvinga was very unfortunate and as she collapsed to the ground, there were many who feared for the worst.

Luckily, she survived to continue with the game.
But, with emotions still running high, the battleground for the fans shifted from the stadium to Mandava bus terminus where running battles were fought after the game.
Shabanie’s executive secretary Chengetai Phiri said his team now needed to shift their focus from the disappointment of losing the derby to battling to survive relegation.

“We lost the match. The referee made his decision and it was final,” said Phiri. “Now that the derby is over, we urge the Zvishavane community to support both teams so that FC Platinum wins the title for our community and Shabanie Mine Football club survives relegation. Together we stand and divided we fall.”
Shabanie’s next home league match is a midweek clash against CAPS United at Maglas next week while FC Platinum will travel to the capital for a date against unpredictable Monomotapa, who finally registered a win on Sunday against Kiglon.

Before that date against Monoz, FC Platinum have a Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-final showdown against Dynamos at Barbourfields on Sunday.
It will be the first of two battles, in as many weeks, between FC Platinum and Dynamos, with the two teams meeting in a league match at Mandava next weekend.

FC Platinum said they will try to guard against complacency.
“We are guarding against complacency and we want to collect the nine points from our three remaining matches,” said assistant coach Tendai Chikuni, who took full control of the game against Shabanie in the absence of his boss.

“We are definitely going to remain focused we are not going to put our players under pressure.
“We want them to remain focused. There is the Mbada Cup this weekend but that does not mean we are shifting our focus from the league.
” We are also not looking at how Dynamos are playing. We are not worried about them but we are worried about our games, where we need to win and collect points. We are definitely not going to drop points anymore.”

Chikuni said that his team managed to win on Sunday, without four regular players, demonstrated their depth in reserve.
“In our match yesterday (Sunday) we missed four key players – Norman (Togara), Zephaniah (Ngodzo), Tafadzwa (Dube) and Charles (Sibanda),” said Chikuni.

“But we played well and it gives the team a lot of competition. The competition helps us to get the best 18-man squad.”
Dynamos’ chances suffered a heavy blow with the 0-0 draw at Hwange, and are now trailing FC Platinum by three points. FC Platinum have 52 points while Dynamos are on 49, which raises stakes in their penultimate clash at Mandava.