adminStadium on Sunday but has conceded that it was an act of madness and apologised to the Green Machine.
The 19-year-old Zimbabwe international brought back bitter memories of the disaster that unfolded at the giant stadium 11 years ago when a similar gesture by Bafana Bafana’s Delron Buckley torched an angry response from the home crowd.
And when police fired teargas into the crowded bays, trying to control the crowd who were raining all sorts of missiles on the pitch, it resulted in a stampede in which 11 lives were lost.
Mukamba performed a Buckley on Sunday, shortly after Dynamos took the lead against bitter rivals CAPS United, as he ran towards the bays housing the Green Machine fans.
The lanky forward, who had provided the pass that resulted in the goal pushed home by a combination of Archford Gutu’s touch and David Sengu’s scramble to try and save the situation. For some strange reasons,
Mukamba decided to celebrate in the corner where the CAPS United fans were massed and he did not only do that but raised a finger mocking them into silence.
The response from the Green Machine supporters was spontaneous.
An assortment of missiles were thrown onto the pitch, in the direction of the Dynamos forward, and it needed the cool head of a seasoned player like Cuthbert Malajila to push his teammates away from the danger zone.
Police, to their credit, handled the outbreak of violence professionally although chances were that, given the tense nature of the atmosphere, Mukamba was lucky to escape without being charged for inciting violence.
Yesterday Mukamba reflected on his madness and conceded that he crossed the line in his celebrations on Sunday and issued a public apology to the CAPS United fans.
“I would like to apologise to CAPS United. I am really sorry I made a mistake,” said Mukamba.
“I was supposed to celebrate with my supporters but instead I ran there and lifted my finger saying I have silenced you.
“I was just so excited and couldn’t imagine that we had scored and we were on course to win again against CAPS United.
“l realised it when the referee booked me that I had made a mistake.
“It is not a good thing to react like that against other teams because football is round and one day you may wake up playing for CAPS United and nobody would like you there.”
Mukamba said he was a victim of his passion for the game that usually puts him in a lot of trouble.
“The problem is l am so passionate and I fail to contain my excitement and when you are on the field of play you won’t be thinking of anything else and you would be entirely focused on playing and winning,” said the Zimbabwe international.
“I know I have already said that I have l learnt from my past mistakes but I know there is a problem when I keep repeating what I did months ago.
“It’s such a big problem being so passionate and short tempered and getting lost in the thick of things.
“And you know that I cannot just wake up being a better player minus all the other things that make me love this game passionately.
“But I am trying. I know I have a weakness but I’m doing well to try and change things and I feel I am getting there and one day I will be a very good guy.”
The Dynamos forward revealed that he has also been getting a lot of criticism from his family, which includes his cousin Clive Kawinga who plays for CAPS United.
“Even at home they always tell me that how I carry myself in a game is not nice,” said Mukamba.
“My brother Clive is always telling me that I am not the only player in a team and I am not special.
“He plays football and understands these things. I know that some people think that it is intentional.
“After picking red cards in Algeria and Botswana I know I said I had reformed and went on for games without picking a yellow card for remonstrating to the referee or bad behaviour.
“In the recent matches against Black Mambas and Shooting Stars l was booked when I was kicked in the box and the referee felt otherwise, maybe it is because all the officials believe l have a problem.”
Mukamba said he did not like his bad boy image.
“It’s not nice when everyone talks about your ugly side,” he said.
“The people I meet in the streets clearly tell me that I would be wasted if I continue behaving like this.
“I am a young player with a future and I don’t want to end my career at Dynamos but I also wish to play abroad.
“I have told myself that I should get booked for cautions related to play and not other matters.”
Interestingly, the midfielder was also cautioned in the first league game of the Harare Derby when he left his place on the substitutes’ bench and invaded the pitch to celebrate Tawanda Muparati’s late goal.
Mukamba, drunk in the moment of glory, appeared to have forgotten that the match needed to be restarted as he remained on the pitch, dancing and enjoying himself.
Dynamos assistant coach Tonderayi Ndiraya said head coach Callisto Pasuwa was concerned about the behaviour of some of his players, including Mukamba, and it was their duty to help the youngsters.
“It is very wrong and l am glad that the coach spoke about it at length and gave them (Denver, Rodrick Mutuma) a warning at training,” said Ndiraya.
“But you must also understand that these boys are young and we are trying our best. At every training session the coach emphasises on discipline.
“He is not the only one with such a problem in the team. There is also Rodrick. They are so short tempered and even during training sessions they get irritated at the slightest of provocation.
“And there is Thomas (Magorimbo) and we have Devon (Chafa). They complain a lot to the referee and are easily annoyed.
“They need guidance and we are happy that the senior players like Cuthbert (Malajila), Guthrie (Zhokinyi), George (Magariro) are coming up and guiding them because during play, as coaches, we may be far away
to control things happening on the field like what happened on Sunday. We just saw him rushing but from where we were seated we didn’t see what was happening.
“Callisto is very strict and even the way the team is now playing you can see there is discipline and the players are under a certain grip even at our training sessions.”
Ndiraya revealed that Pasuwa was also surprised by how Mukamba has changed.
“The coach is saying at Kiglon he wasn’t like this. So maybe it has got to do with playing for a big club where emotions and stakes are always high in every game,” said Ndiraya.
“I also feel for CAPS United because after losing to Dynamos for the fourth time and you are provoked in a such a manner, it was quite tough for them to take.”
Premier Soccer League chief executive Kenny Ndebele said they were waiting for the referee’s report before they can make a decision.
Online Reporter