When passion turns to violence, football loses

Inside ZIFA
Nqobile Magwizi

ZIMBABWEAN football is in an important season of renewal. Across the country, there are encouraging signs that the game is finding its feet again. Supporters are beginning to believe. Corporate confidence is slowly returning. Infrastructure partnerships are taking shape.

There is also a renewed sense of optimism around our national teams and the direction of the game.

But as I noted last week, progress in football is fragile. It is built patiently, through consistency, credibility and trust. That is why the disturbing scenes witnessed at Chahwanda Stadium last weekend cannot be treated as just another unfortunate matchday incident.

They strike at the heart of what we are trying to rebuild.

Protecting the social value of football

Let me be clear. The disorder, intimidation and destruction that unfolded last weekend were unacceptable.

Football cannot grow, and it certainly cannot heal, in an environment where lawlessness is allowed to overshadow the sport itself. At its best, football is one of the most powerful means of ensuring unity in our society. It brings communities together. It gives young people something to dream about.

It creates moments where families and the nation can gather around a shared passion. But when our stadiums begin to carry the smell of fear, danger and instability, football loses the very thing that makes it special.

This is bigger than one match, one club or one isolated incident. It is about protecting the integrity of our national sport. A lot of work has gone into rebuilding confidence in ZIFA and in the broader football ecosystem.

Corporate partners are beginning to come back to the table. Families are slowly regaining the confidence to bring their children to matches.

These gains have not come easily, and they cannot be sacrificed because of the reckless actions of a few individuals.

No serious sponsor wants to attach its brand to chaos. No parent will risk a child’s safety for a football match. No investor will commit resources to facilities that may later be vandalised.

Beyond the pitch, this kind of lawlessness damages Zimbabwe’s image as a serious sporting destination.

It undermines the national effort to position sport as a driver of tourism, investment and youth development.

Absolute accountability, zero retaliation

Accountability is central to good governance. Investigations into the Chahwanda incident are underway, and they must be allowed to run their full course in a transparent and professional manner.

Once due process has been completed, ZIFA will take firm and decisive action against every individual, official or entity found responsible for violence, destruction or incitement.

At the same time, we must urgently bring an end to hostile rhetoric.

Since last weekend, we have seen worrying signs of inflammatory language and threats of retaliation emerging from some supporter circles.

That road is dangerous, and it must be rejected completely. Football disagreements must never be allowed to descend into tribalism, revenge or community hostility. Zimbabwean football cannot afford a culture where every matchday grievance becomes an excuse for regional or tribal provocation.

A new mandate for our clubs

As the governing authority, ZIFA believes clubs must carry greater responsibility for the conduct of their supporters. Going forward, every club will be required to sign and strictly observe a formal declaration against violence.

This will bind clubs to proactive supporter education and full cooperation with law-enforcement agencies and football authorities.

This will not be a ceremonial document with no consequences. Clubs will be expected, both legally and administratively, to identify and isolate radical elements, assist criminal investigations and help guarantee a safe and welcoming matchday environment.

Protecting the game is a shared duty. It belongs to administrators, club executives, security agencies and genuine supporters alike.

A warning and a call to our youth

I also want to speak directly to young people who allow themselves to be drawn into criminal behaviour in the name of football passion.

Violence has real consequences.

A criminal record created in a few reckless minutes at a stadium can follow you for the rest of your life.

It can close doors to education, employment, international travel and future opportunities. Football should be opening doors for our young people, not locking them out of their future.

Zimbabwean football thrives on passion. The colour, the songs, the drums and the emotion of our fans are part of what makes our local game special.

But passion without discipline quickly becomes destruction.

This should have been a week of celebration and reflection.

We should have been celebrating our Southern African neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns and our own Warrior, Divine Lunga, for their heroic African Champions League triumph.

We should have been applauding Daniel Msendami’s remarkable treble with Orlando Pirates and celebrating Tawanda Maswanhise’s Golden Boot season with Motherwell in Scotland. We should have been studying their professionalism, their discipline and the structures that helped them succeed.

Instead, we are replaying disturbing images from a venue that this very column had previously celebrated for helping to change the look and feel of our game.

This should also have been a week in which we marked Zimbabwe’s first appearance at a tournament in the United Kingdom and reflected on the lessons from the Warriors’ experience, even after the result against Nigeria on Tuesday did not go our way.

Instead, we now find ourselves having to take a hard step back so that we can move forward with the right kind of football culture, one built around supporters who mean well for the game and for one another.

To everyone who was injured or inconvenienced by the actions of troublemakers, I extend my sincere sympathy and wish you a full and speedy recovery. But sympathy alone is not enough. This moment must force all of us to reflect honestly on the kind of football culture we are building. Administrators must lead with firmness.

Clubs must take responsibility for the behaviour of their supporters. Security structures must act with professionalism and urgency. Supporters must reject violence, expose those who promote it and protect the dignity of the game they claim to love.

Zimbabwean football cannot be rebuilt by ZIFA alone. It will be rebuilt by every person who chooses order over chaos, discipline over provocation and pride over destruction.

The message is clear: Let us protect our stadiums, protect our communities, protect our young people and protect the future of our game.

The work continues, and it now belongs to all of us.

Nqobile Magwizi is the president of ZIFA.