There were shameful scenes during the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League game between Highlanders and Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday as rioting fans stormed the pitch from varying distances and abandoned the game.
Dynamos fans swarmed the field in the 92nd minute after Highlanders took the lead as Washington Navaya nodded home the goal from close range.
DeMbare players harassed the referee in protest at Shadreck Nyahwa’s foul. The goal drew wild cheers from the home fans who briefly invaded the pitch, with just two of the 13 minutes of added time played.
This angered the Dynamos fans at the Mpilo End and they stormed the pitch destroying the goal nets and trying to uproot the goal posts.
As the players took refuge in the tunnel, roaring fans bombarded the advisers, who wanted to replace the torn nets so that play could resume, causing match officials to abandon the game and leave Highlanders leading 1-0.
Bosso fans were the first to launch missiles onto the pitch in the 68th minute when young Dynamos striker Bill Antonio broke centre-back Andrew Tandi’s ankle with a brutal tackle.
Antonio saw red for his tackle and play was stopped for 13 minutes while paramedics attended to Tandi on the pitch.
Match commissioner Edson Nkau confirmed that the game had been abandoned.
- The Chronicle
