Let’s fix our chaotic football

ON Friday, we issued a passionate appeal, ahead of the Battle of Zimbabwe, for domestic football to guard against violence.

We reiterated that football was a beautiful game, which is loved and watched by millions of people, in this country and around the world.

We also hammered home the point that, for most peace-loving Zimbabweans, some matches have become a no-go area.

We raised the point that the battles between giants Dynamos and Highlanders have become hard-hat areas where the safety of the fans was not guaranteed.

We noted that the safety of the players, themselves, who are supposed to be the stars of the show, was also not guaranteed.

Once you create such an environment in football, you know that you have lost the plot.

After all, this is a sport that should unite us because we all love it, irrespective of our tribes or religious beliefs.

This is a sport for everyone - the rich, the poor or whoever, we meet and indulge our fantasies using the power of football.

Even Bosso appeared to realise that things could get out of hand and, ahead of the match, they released a statement urging their fans to embrace their opposition. We celebrate it because it was a commendable move.

But, as we saw on Sunday, as the violence exploded at Barbourfields, we were all wrong to believe that the headlines would be about the players.

Instead, once again, the headlines were about a match which didn’t come to a conclusion, abandoned as some hooligans ran riot.

What a shame!

Especially coming, as it did, on the day that, for once since the Covid-19 outbreak, we had a very good crowd at Barbourfields.

This is a league which has been struggling to lure the fans back to its arenas after the break which was enforced by Covid-19.

But, for a refreshing change, we had a very good crowd, the biggest we have seen attending a local league match, for years.

This was a chance for our football to reunite with the fans by providing them with a show which would force them to return for the next match.

But, we messed up the occasion and, we believe, some of those fans will think twice before they return to a local league match.

The challenge which the league faces is that it does not operate in isolation.

It is a brand which is sponsored by some companies, especially Delta, who have their image to protect.

For years, they have been walking with local football and, even in the worst years possible, they have been the last men standing.

But, Delta have an image to protect and they won’t want to see their brand being dragged into the mud by some hooligans who come to the stadium on a mission to create as much chaos as they can.

The PSL leadership know the dangers of what has been happening and that is why they have suspended the entire league.

We agree with them, we can’t let this chaos be treated as if it’s now a normal thing in our game.