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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
CASH-STRAPPED Harare giants Dynamos were left with a paltry US$23 864 in their coffers after deductions from the gate receipts of their high-profile Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Battle of Zimbabwe showdown against Highlanders at Rufaro at the weekend.
According to the official figures released by Dynamos late yesterday, the encounter between the country’s two biggest football clubs attracted 9 100 paying spectators.
The figure could have reached the 10 000 mark if complimentary tickets and accredited personnel are factored in.
A cursory look at the crowd seemed to suggest that the 25 000-seater stadia over 50 percent subscribed, in what could point to the worrying trend that football coffers are still bleeding through some leakages at the gates.
According to the breakdown of figures, the match grossed US$48 049 before deductions.
The giants were meeting for the first time in five years at Rufaro and Dynamos, who were the home team lost 0-2 courtesy of goals in either half from McKinnon Mushore and Godfrey Makaruse.
The defeat meant they succumbed to back-to-back defeats to their traditional rivals as the Glamour Boys were also beaten 1-2 in the first leg at Barbourfields.
Last Sunday’s attendance was slightly lower when compared to the reverse fixture at the start of the season, which attracted just over 12 000 paying spectators at Barbourfields.
In a similar style to the permission granted to CAPS United during the Harare derby, Dynamos were allowed by the PSL to hike gate entry charges to US$5 for the cheapest ticket, US$10 VIP, and US$20 for the VVIP ticket.
Some pundits argued that DeMbare could have attracted a much bigger crowd if they had maintained the normal $3 gate charges.
But club treasurer Musa Gwasira yesterday said ticket prices are customarily hiked for the big games because of the high costs involved in hosting such ties.
“We have tried that (maintaining ticket prices) before but usually there is not much of a difference in terms of attendance figures.
“But we have to consider the high costs of organising such big matches when coming up with the ticket prices,” Gwasira said.
“So far, this is the highest attendance figure that we have recorded this season at home.
“Match attendances have been low for most of the league games of late.
“We have been averaging 4 000 to 4 500 paying fans for our home matches, and this is a significant improvement,” said Gwasira.
DeMbare needed a big pay cheque to offset the liquidity challenges bedevilling the popular Harare giants.
The club management and the players last week were involved in a confrontation after the players boycotted training to arm-twist their employers to settle outstanding winning bonuses and sign-on fees.
DeMbare were believed to be owing players, who had featured in all of Dynamos’ 17 matches in the first half of the season, about US$1 050 each in bonuses.
Coach Genesis Mangombe pointed out in the post-match interview that industrial action affected their preparations and the result of the game.
The match attracted a decent crowd, although it could not match the previous attendance standards of the Battle of Zimbabwe duels of the 1990s up to around 2019, just before Covid-19 struck.
The Battle of Zimbabwe official attendance figures were even lower compared to the first edition of this year’s Harare Derby, which was reported to have 12 446 people paying to watch the match between CAPS United and Dynamos earlier this year.
The Green Machine as the home team realised a gross of $62 585 but were left with just below half the amount after deductions.
Questions have continued to be asked about the attendance figures featuring the country’s “Big Three” as official figures and estimates continue to drift.
Just a decade ago, Dynamos and Highlanders matches averaged between 20 000 to 26 000 regardless of where the match was played.
The titanic duels have at times breached the 30 000 cap.
But both giants have in recent years been finding it difficult to appease their supporters because they are now playing second fiddle to a new generation of competition in the perennial championship race.
Both Dynamos and Highlanders are not among the top four on the current Premiership log table led by FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum, Simba Bhora, and Manica Diamonds.
Dynamos last won the title in 2014, ending a trailblazing four-year period under Kalisto Pasuwa.
Ironically DeMbare also dominated Bosso during Pasuwa’s era as coach and Bosso fans celebrated the turning of the tide after Sunday’s match.
While Dynamos were the last league champions in 2014, it has been a longer period of frustration for Highlanders.
Bosso’s cabinet has been gathering dust since 2006 when Methembe Ndlovu last delivered the championship for the Bulawayo giants.
Fixtures
Saturday: Yadah v Bikita Minerals (Heart), GreenFuel v Simba Bhora (GreenFuel Arena), ZPC Kariba v Chegutu Pirates (Nyamhunga), FC Platinum v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Mandava), Arenel Movers v Chicken Inn (Luveve)
Sunday: Hwange v Dynamos (Colliery), Highlanders v Bulawayo Chiefs (Barbourfields), Manica Diamonds v TelOne (Sakubva), CAPS United v Herentals (Rufaro)
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