Harare Derby shows families can go to stadiums

Edmore Zvinonzwa

I saw families, fathers, mothers and their children. I saw couples. This was an obvious sign that things are beginning to change, for the better.

Slowly, we are clawing back into once again having premiership football as a family sport.

Of the estimated 30 000-strong crowd at the National Sports Stadium yesterday, there were many families who came to watch the Battle for Harare, otherwise referred to as the Harare Derby.

CAPS United and Dynamos have remained the top two sides in the capital. The build-up to one of the greatest fixtures on the domestic premiership had been exciting.

The vehicle horns as motorists made their way to the giant stadium, the blue and green apparel put on by the supporters were a befitting prelude to the game, with anxiety being pumped up by the minute.

The afternoon eventually ended with celebrations on the Blue side of town following DeMbare's 2-0 win over their bitter rivals in a game in which the Green Machine failed to capitalise on their earlier advantages to wrap the game up.

The giant National Sports Stadium, a giant facility that has been overused of late, owing to the banning of several stadia in the country over their failure to meet CAF prescribed standards.

Derbies have many traits. The tension prior to kick off us always visible. Friends turning into foes, albeit briefly, for the moment of the game.

The good thing, which the Premier Soccer League must continue to inculcate, is the peaceful and non-violent environment that will continue to encourage families to come to match venues to watch football matches.

Post Covid-19, this is quite positive. But then, it might have been an omission or something, there was noone to control traffic at the right turn into the National Sports Stadium, a very busy intersection given the magnitude of the game.

The Sports and Recreation Commission must spruce up its baby – the National Sports Stadium, cutting the tall grass along the perimeter wall on the Mabelreign end of the stadium that made some entry gates almost invisible.

There were long, winding queues, pushing and shoving near the turnstiles and yet there were no queues on the other gates on the Kirkman Road side but people could not see that they were open.

This was the Harare Derby, the first part of it, and we hope Part 2 will be more organised.

Then the anger and frustration was evident in CAPS United fans as they threw missiles at coach, Lloyd Chitembwe, when he went over to salute fans in Bay 14, an obvious sign of their dejection at the end of the match.

At the end of the match, Steward Murisa, one of the few players to cross the revered divide between Zimbabwe’s top premier league sides having played for CAPS United, Dynamos and Highlanders, by far the country's biggest clubs by supporter base, gave his view of the derby.

Murisa, who formed one of the deadliest and most telepathic striking combinations in the premiership with Alois Bunjira and Morgan Nkatazo at Makepekepe, said:

“I think it was a good game, especially on the Dynamos side, they could have scored three more in the second half. I think in the second half, CAPS United were too defensive. Instead of going all out to get a goal so that they would fight for an equalizer. But for a derby, I think of late this has been one of the best because the other derbies did not live up to expectations. Today, it was much better, it was an entertaining game, which had flashes of the characteristics of a derby.

“Dynamos deserved the win because they wanted it more,” said Murisa.

Soccer analyst Alwyn Mabehla said of the derby: “All teams in the PSL should find it in themselves to play purposeful, and entertaining football that is attractive to every football and neutrals alike. We cannot expect fans and corporates alike to associate with disorder. The coaches have a task to ensure we have entertaining games. That how we can get our game to the optimum level."