Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Warriors captain Willard Katsande says Zimbabwean football risks undoing years of progress after ugly scenes at Chahwanda Stadium left supporters injured and turned what should have been a celebration of local football into another debate about crowd violence.
For some time, the conversation around the local game had started changing. Better stadiums, improving crowds and growing excitement had created hope that supporters were slowly finding their way back.
Sunday changed the conversation.
Instead of talking football, Zimbabweans spent Monday talking about injured supporters, a ball boy hit by a missile and ugly scenes many thought had long been left behind.
The Hardrock-Dynamos league clash was abandoned in the 81st minute after violence erupted inside the stadium, leaving several supporters injured, with some reportedly hospitalised.
Trouble allegedly started after missiles were thrown between rival sections of supporters before tensions escalated and spilled onto the field of play.
For Katsande, the bigger danger now stretches beyond one abandoned match.
He believes local football risks losing the very people it has spent years trying to bring back.
“Football unites people. Football makes people forget their day-to-day life problems. That’s why it’s called the beautiful game,” said Katsande.
“When it starts giving us things like this, it becomes difficult to understand what is really happening in our football.
“We thought we had passed that stage. It looks like we are going backwards instead of enjoying the infrastructure.”
Katsande said the violence had also stolen attention from what should have been a positive story for Zimbabwean football.
“That beautiful stadium is now going to be remembered for this whole chaos. It’s embarrassing for us as a country.”
He said frustration, emotions and even poor officiating can never justify violence.
“I don’t condone violence no matter how bad the officiating is, no matter how much a player feels cheated. The most important thing is controlling emotions and protecting the game.”
Katsande also reacted strongly to the attack on a ball boy who was struck by a missile during the disturbances.
“In the Chahwanda incident, both teams were wrong to invade the pitch. But then you see a child getting hit.
“Let’s be honest, if that was your child, how would you feel?
“These ball boys dream of becoming players one day. Some of the biggest footballers started there.”
He also questioned scenes in which supporters were attacked after falling to the ground.
“I saw a Dynamos supporter lying on the floor and people stepping on him. That’s somebody’s father, somebody’s son, somebody who has to provide for their family tomorrow.
“They travelled from Harare to Kwekwe to enjoy football. Then they get beaten. For what?”
Meanwhile, Dynamos and Hardrock were expected to submit reports to the Premier Soccer League yesterday explaining the events that led to the abandonment of the match, as questions continued over whether local football is once again pushing away the people it desperately needs.
