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JOHANNESBURG. — Fans vociferously booed both Kingston Nkhatha and Tapuwa Kapini at the weekend, but is it right or wrong to jeer at your own player?Nkhatha has been targeted by the Kaizer Chiefs boo-brigade this season, most recently coming in for abuse in the 1-1 draw with Orlando Pirates on Saturday.
The burly striker was hounded throughout the Soweto Derby, and gestured emotionally to the crowd after scoring the equaliser at Soccer City to cancel out Kermit Erasmus’s early opener.
Meanwhile, fellow Zimbabwean and AmaZulu goalkeeper Kapini was reduced to tears in the aftermath of a 2-0 loss to Maritzburg United on Sunday.
Kapini was hit by objects — including plastic bottles — thrown by some Usuthu fans while making his way from the pitch, and was visibly upset, and lay on the ground in tears until he was assisted by his club’s technical staff.
Kapini, who shipped seven goals against Mamelodi Sundowns last week, could not have done much about the two goals he conceded against the Team of Choice.
The first came after a cross in the six-yard area, which Marc van Heerden deflected into his own net, and the second was a lovely curling finish by Thokozani Sehlokong, after a one-on-one with Kapini.
The treatment meted out to Nkhatha and Kapini is reminiscent of incidents involving the likes of Siyabona Nkosi, Sthembiso Ngcobo and ex-Bafana Bafana striker Philemon Masinga, while former Sundowns coach Johan Neeskens will certainly empathise given the roasting he received a year ago from unruly Downs fans calling for his head.
Response to Nkhatha and Kapini incidents, taken from Twitter
Former Kick-Off journalist @LuthandoZibeko on Twitter
“The barbarism currently dominating our stadiums undermines the efforts to make football the number one sport in this country.
The incident that happened at Dobsonville to Neeskens is still fresh in my mind — KickOff.com
Online Reporter