Chronicle Editor
Raymond Jaravaza
IN the eyes of many local football followers, Chegutu Pirates fans are a rowdy lot who disrupt matches if things don’t go their way.
However, this perception is strongly denied by the club leadership, who argue that the team’s supporters are not violent but have a strong, visible presence wherever they travel. Chegutu Pirates, also known by nicknames such as Zaire and Sugar Malaga, are a football club based in the town of Chegutu, about 110 kilometres from the capital city Harare.
They don a black and white jersey when playing at home. Unfortunately, “home” for Chegutu Pirates is far away from home in Mhondoro at Baobab Stadium because the team’s preferred ground, Pfupajena Stadium, does not meet the requirements to host Premier Soccer League games.
According to estimates by Chegutu Pirates chairman Eddie Chivero, an average of 2 000 fans travel to Baobab Stadium to watch their team play in Mhondoro. This figure, he claims, is higher than that of the majority of clubs that play in their own backyards.
“Chegutu Pirates fans are not violent, they are just visible everywhere they go to watch their team so people mistake their strong visible presence for aggression. Yes, the fans travel in their numbers and they sing and dance non-stop before and after the match but that should not be taken to be violent behaviour.
“About 2 000 fans travel to watch the team in Mhondoro when we are playing at home, which is almost the same number of fans that watch Dynamos, Caps United and Highlanders when those teams are playing away,” said Chivero.
Chegutu Pirates have earned the dubious distinction of being the most fined team in the 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, with penalties amounting to over US$10 000 so far.
As PSL debutantes, they have frequently found themselves on the wrong side of the law this season.
Among their infractions is a hefty US$3 645 fine for the abandonment of their match against Dynamos at Baobab Stadium, following a pitch invasion by their fans protesting a referee’s decision to award Dynamos a goal.
Additionally, the team was fined US$950 for using a kit without player names and league sponsor logos during their match with Yadah. They also incurred a US$250 fine for delaying the match kick-off and a US$1 250 penalty for post-match comments to the media, alleging bias by the match officials.
In May, the club faced a US$2 000 fine for a pitch invasion by club marshals and security during their match against Simba Bhora. The latest offence recorded was at the end of May, when they failed to provide clean changing rooms for match officials during their match against Ngezi Platinum Stars, resulting in a US$375 fine.
“Most of the fines have nothing to do with the fans’ behaviour expect for the charge against Caps United that we’ll be defending ourselves against in the coming week. Our fans have been fantastic in terms of mobilizing resources to assist the team and as an executive we are grateful for that,” added Chivero. Chegutu Pirates take on ZPC Kariba today at Nyamhunga Stadium.
Online Reporter