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THE latest episode of the Harare Derby was not a vintage show and it’s something that we probably expected.
The two giants of the capital have not really set the stage alight in the opening months of the championship race. Dynamos started the day in 14th place on the table, just one slot outside the relegation zone after having won just two of their opening 10 games going into the Derby.
The Glamour Boys’ two wins included one against newboys Bikita Minerals, which had come via a penalty at Sakubva.
They were just one point above newboys Chegutu Pirates, who are homeless, and are being forced to play their home matches away at Baobab.
They were also just one point above newboys TelOne and two points above newboys Arenel.
This meant that their form wasn’t good enough for us to expect them to produce the kind of football that produces a vintage show.
CAPS United came into the game having done better than their biggest city rivals. Makepekepe were in sixth place, at the start of the day, with 16 points from 11 games.
They were four points better than Dynamos but the brutal reality from the statistics showed that CAPS United had lost five of their first 11 matches.
They had won five matches, including three on the trot coming into the Derby, and drawn one.
But, with 16 points, they were already eight points behind FC Platinum, who were the leaders overnight, although the Zvishavane side had played one more match.
All these statistics provided a hint to us, if we needed one, that we were unlikely to have a vintage showdown yesterday. There were even fears from some quarters that the Harare Derby would be a big yawn yesterday with the fans turning their back on it.
Some analysts even claimed that if it was going to attract, at least about 5000 fans, they would be surprised.
It didn’t help, said the analysts, that the Harare Derby was competing with the final Sunday of the hugely popular English Premiership where the winners were to be decided.
However, the Harare Derby showed yesterday that it is still a box office attraction for football fans in the capital and thousands of fans were at Rufaro yesterday for the latest battle between the two giants.
It shows that football is still alive in the capital and this makes us feel very good. The sights and sounds from Rufaro were beautiful yesterday in the perfect conditions of a sunny early winter Sunday at Rufaro.
This is what we were praying for and, even though it was not a capacity crowd, it was a huge improvement from what we have been seeing in the capital in recent months.
The fans in Bulawayo have been showing that football is alive in their city by coming in their numbers to Barbourfields when Highlanders are playing. Football, without fans, is not a beautiful game at all.
Hopefully, this is the start of good times in Harare when it comes to the number of fans who come to watch the domestic Premiership matches.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter