Temba Dube
Innocent Kurira [email protected]
THE final whistle had barely gone when some fans jumped over the barriers and onto the pitch at the National Sports Stadium on Monday evening.
It was unwanted behaviour and certainly not how anyone would want a football match to end.
But perhaps it also reflected the extraordinary hunger to see the Warriors playing at home again.
Fans danced, took pictures and ran around the field as Zimbabwe’s long-awaited return to home soil came to an end.
The Warriors had lost 2-1 to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the scenes after the final whistle showed just how much the return had meant to supporters.
After years of playing home matches away from Zimbabwe, the national team was finally back in Harare.
And the excitement had been building throughout the day.
In the Central Business District, tickets were already running out in the morning as supporters rushed to secure their places.
Those who had bought tickets in bulk benefited from the last-minute rush, with desperate fans who had failed to get tickets prepared to pay considerably more than the
original price.
The demand was clear.
People wanted to be at the National Sports Stadium.
They wanted to watch the Warriors at home.
By kick-off, the stadium was packed.
Zimbabwean flags were visible around the stands, supporters wore national team colours and there was a steady stream of singing and chanting.
Then came the national anthem.
Thousands of supporters sang loudly and with pride, creating one of the most memorable moments of the evening.
After years without the Warriors playing a home international in Harare, the occasion clearly meant something to the supporters.
President Mnangagwa was also in the stands, adding to the significance of the homecoming.
The halftime lights show provided another attraction for the crowd, although the Warriors’ 2-0 deficit had understandably taken some of the excitement out of the
occasion.
The supporters, however, stayed behind the team.
They continued singing and cheering as Zimbabwe tried to get back into the match.
When Marshall Munetsi pulled one back late in the game, the stadium came alive again.
The Warriors could not find an equaliser, but the supporters remained until the final whistle.
Then came the pitch invasions.
Again, there is no excusing the behaviour.
But it was difficult to ignore the wider picture.
The scenes were perhaps another indication of just how much Zimbabweans had missed having the Warriors playing at home.
The ticket scramble in the CBD, the packed stadium and the passionate singing of the national anthem had already made that clear.
The result may not have been what Zimbabwe wanted, but the homecoming showed there is a strong appetite for the Warriors to play in front of their own supporters.
After such a long absence, Monday night provided a reminder of what home advantage can mean beyond the football itself.
The Warriors are back in Zimbabwe.
Now there is an opportunity to make sure this is not another rare occasion, but the beginning of a regular return to home soil.
