‘Violence messages in bad taste’ – Bosso

By Ricky Zililo

Highlanders have distanced themselves from messages circulating on social media urging Bosso fans to “cause mayhem” at the Chicken Inn versus Dynamos Castle Lager Premiership match set for Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

On-fire Dynamos make their second trip of the season to Bulawayo this weekend hoping to stretch their winning streak to seven consecutive league matches.

In their last visit to Bulawayo on May 14, Dynamos played 42 minutes of an explosive encounter against traditional rivals Highlanders at Barbourfields before the game was abandoned due to crowd trouble.

The PSL disciplinary tribunal awarded Dynamos the match on a 3-0 score line and ordered Bosso to pay a $4 000 fine as well as costs of the hearing by July 31, 2017.

Disturbing messages generated by people purporting to be Highlanders followers have been circulating on social media, calling on fans to come in numbers for the match dressed in Dynamos’ blue and white colours to cause mayhem at the match and force it to be abandoned.

Nhlanhla Dube, the Highlanders’ chief executive officer, said “genuine” Bosso supporters will not take the messages seriously.

“Let it be known that as Highlanders we are not responsible for the unfortunate messages, which are in bad taste, circulating on social media calling for our members to disrupt the PSL game between Chicken Inn and Dynamos. Highlanders do not have a PSL game and we’re not organising anything. Our focus will be on supporting our developmental side Bosso 90, who are in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League,” said Dube.

Highlanders’ leadership is hoping fans will snub perpetrators of violence like they did when they shunned people that were calling for fans to stay away from their Premiership games in protest against the fine slapped on Bosso for the DeMbare game disturbances.

With Highlanders’ league match postponed because of Caps United’s involvement in the Caf Champions League, a big turnout is expected at Luveve Stadium on Sunday where Bosso 90 will be home to perennial First Division campaigners ZPC Hwange.

Meanwhile, Chicken Inn have said it’s business as usual for them and they will not waste energy on social misfits that want to cause mayhem.

“We won’t waste time on attention seekers as we’re focusing on winning our game on Sunday. What we know is that Highlanders’ supporters are the best ever in terms of rallying behind us whenever we play Dynamos and we’ve also enjoyed favourable support from Dynamos fans when we play Highlanders.

“We will have the usual security we normally have when playing Dynamos and we won’t break the bank because we budgeted for this game long back.

“What we know and are promising fans is that there won’t be any disturbances as there won’t be room for that because of quality entertainment which will be on the field.

“Those who will come to rally behind Chicken Inn will leave the stadium happy,” said Tawengwa Hara, Chicken Inn’s secretary-general.

Last season, Chicken Inn beat Dynamos home and away, a feat that coach Rahman Gumbo and his charges will want to repeat.

Chicken Inn hammered DeMbare 3-0 in the first leg in Bulawayo and won the reverse fixture 3-2 in Harare.

Striker Obadiah Tarumbwa struck a brace, while Tafadzwa Kutinyu added another to hand then Dynamos coach Jorge Paulo Silva a 3-0 defeat at Barbourfields.

History favours Chicken Inn to win the encounter, having won four out of their 12 league games since their debut season in 2011. Dynamos have won three of those encounters, with five meetings ending in draws. The Chronicle