Dembare fans appeal for neutral venue

DYNAMOS supporters have added their voice in calling for the hosting of the Chibuku Super Cup final between the Glamour Boys and Ngezi Platinum Stars at a neutral venue.

Just a few weeks after the club's executive committee had approached the Premier Soccer League complaining that the staging of the final at Ngezi Platinum Stars' home ground of Baobab flew in the face of the principles of fair play, the Dynamos National Supporters Association yesterday lodged another correspondence, with similar concerns, to PSL chairman Farai Jere.

The Glamour Boys supporters' national executive chairman Benjamin Munzira said the PSL should consider an alternative venue for the December 3 season finale against the newly crowned league champions.

"We the fans of Dynamos Football Club, an affiliate of the Premier Soccer League write to your esteemed office and person requesting that the venue for the 2023 Chibuku Super Cup final be moved from Baobab Stadium to a neutral venue. Our request is premised on the following:

1. That the Chibuku Super Cup is the country's biggest premier knock-out tournament and as such it should be treated as such in line with resolutions of the football stakeholders' indaba held in Bulawayo recently.

2. That the premier knock-out tournament final be accorded the status it deserves and not be treated as an ordinary league fixture.

3. That the final match be staged at a neutral venue and not at the home ground of one of the participating teams as such an arrangement would fly in the face of the ethos of fair play which must be respected.

4. That the venue purportedly designated by the PSL secretariat does not have the capacity to house a bumper crowd expected to throng the historic final match pitting two of the biggest clubs in Zimbabwe.

5. That the designated venue would not afford the tournament sponsors the requisite marketing optics which we believe any event sponsor would expect. We have the numbers to deploy for a colourful roadshow before the biggest final match in recent years and hence the need for a venue which would accommodate thousands of our fans."

Previously, teams that have played the final at home have gone on to lift the cup. FC Platinum won the tournament twice after playing the finals at Mandava in 2014 when they beat Harare City in a penalty shoot-out and also in 2021 when they needed another tie-breaker against Ngezi Platinum Stars.

Harare City won the tournament twice after beating Dynamos 2-1 at the National Sports Stadium in 2015 and then in 2017 against How Mine at Rufaro.

Ngezi Platinum won their only Chibuku Super Cup title in 2016 on home soil when they thrashed FC Platinum 3-1. Triangle hosted the 2018 edition at Gibbo and beat Harare City 2-0.

Last year's edition was held at Barbourfields where Bulawayo Chiefs enjoyed the home town comforts to beat Herentals in the final. Dynamos, however, will need to go the extra mile to convince the PSL, who are empowered by the tournament rules to fix the dates and venue or the final.

Part of the Regulations state that the responsibilities of PSL Secretariat include amongst other matters;

"2.4.1.1 Supervising general preparations and deciding on the competition format.

"2.4.2 Fixing the dates and venues of the matches.

"2.4.3 Determining the match schedule and kick off times for the matches."

Under the same guidelines, clubs are also expected to adhere to the decisions made by the PSL office.

"3.9 On entering the competition, the participating clubs, officials and their players automatically undertake to: i. Observe and comply with the Premier Soccer League Statutes, rules and regulations, directives, circulars, guidelines and decisions as well as national and international laws."