×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Harare Derby: Caps hike charges

Sport
CAPS United have hiked gate charges for the 72nd edition of the Harare derby against Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

CAPS United have hiked gate charges for the 72nd edition of the Harare derby against Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

The club hierarchy has pegged the rest of ground ticket at $5, $10 for the VIP, with those wishing to watch the match from the VVIP tribune set to cough out $20.

Caps United team manager Luis Maio said the decision to hike the gate charges had come from the club bosses.

“It’s a decision from the club bosses, but I thought it would have helped us to peg the cheapest ticket at $3,” Maio said.

Matches of this magnitude usually draw bigger crowds, but given the economic challenges in the country at the moment, coupled with the World Cup which ends on Sunday in Brazil which is exposing fans to football at the highest level, a good number of fans are likely to stay away.

The Caps United bosses should have taken a cue from their rivals who pegged the rest of ground ticket at $3 for the big clash against Highlanders last month despite the match against the Bulawayo giants being the biggest crowd puller.

A total of 13 292 fans paid their way into the stadium to watch that epic clash between the champions and Highlanders last month, with the Harare giants grossing just  $41 426.

Last year, Caps United pegged the cheapest ticket at $5 for their encounter against Dynamos with a total of 21 060 fans paying to watch the derby, which was also screened live on SuperSport.

The Green Machine grossed $107 000, their biggest pay cheque in recent years.

It was a marked improvement from the $98 000 receipted from the gates in 2012 when 19 219 fans paid their way to watch the Harare Derby at the same venue.

In September last year, Dynamos grossed $120 475 from the Harare derby after 20 659 fans paid their way into the stadium. They pocketed $62 892.

That figure, however, could not beat the 28 886 fans who went to Rufaro Stadium for the league clash between the champions and Highlanders in 2012 which grossed $168 000.

But with the number of fans coming to watch local football matches notably declining, it makes sense to maintain the cheapest ticket at $3.

Caps United will be seeking to beat Dynamos in the league for the first time since 2009 when a Nyasha Mushekwi double helped them triumph 2-0 at Rufaro.

But the Green Machine appears to have regained form at the right time.

This season, they got the better of their nemesis, elbowing them out of the ZNA Charity Shield in a 1-0 victory.

Taurai Mangwiro’s men are also coming from a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Chicken Inn which has brought their campaign back on track.