Highlanders Football Club has condemned the violence that took place during their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash against Dynamos FC at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on Sunday.
The much-anticipated duel between Bosso and arch-rivals DeMbare was stopped at 37 minutes when the former’s fans, apparently incensed by referee Allan Basvi’s decisions, threw missiles, invaded the pitch and engaged in running battles with the Police.
In a statement, the Highlanders executive raised concerns over the chaos and its negative impact on the club’s brand.
"We would like to apologize to all our stakeholders, particularly our sponsors, partners and innocent football loving fans who were affected by the acts of a few selfish individuals who care less about the growth of their clubs and football in general,” read the statement.
"The club condemns the unsporting behavior that negatively profiles Zimbabwean football as a brand."
Both teams were fined last year over their fans’ similar misconduct that led to the clash being called off in injury time at the same venue.
Bosso implored stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the cases of violence, which it said “continuously bring the name of the game into disrepute”.
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"It is sad to witness such ugly scenes at a family sport event, especially at a time when the club, together with other stakeholders are working tirelessly to bring fans back into the stadiums and convince the corporate world that sport in general and football in particular is worth their support," said the Highlanders Executive.
Meanwhile, the league’s disciplinary committee has said it is waiting for official reports from the match officials before it commences disciplinary procedures.
“We would like to reiterate that violence and hooliganism have no place in our football and we expect those that breach our rules and regulations to be brought to book,” PSL chairperson Farai Jere said.
