Hooligans spoil Bosso, Caps United match

THE ugly face of hooliganism in football spoiled what had started as an entertaining afternoon of the local game between Caps United and Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium.

Highlanders who were at home started on a very promising note with some beautiful build ups and a neat passing game. For almost 30 minutes they had Caps United on the backfoot but it became clear that the game would probably flow into ugly scenes.

A number of calls by referee Philani Ncube were met with mixed feelings. This eventually prompted some missile throwing while tension on the field too was simmering with Highlanders players failing to deal with Roderick Mutuma's aggression and at times unsportsmanlike conduct.

Things got worse in the 44th minute when Mutuma, who proved as good an actor as finisher, got the opener from inside the box. He ran towards the Highlanders supporters seated on the western wing next to the Soweto end. His gesturing earned him the wrath of the home team's fans who reacted by throwing bottles onto the field. It was bad judgement by the player to taunt the home team's fans. In the second half it was the turn of Caps United goalkeeper Victor Twaliki to take the centre stage. In one of his antics, he gave the ball away to a grateful Obidiah Tarumbwa who lobbed the ball over him to make it 2-1.

A missile had been thrown towards the goalkeeper who made a schoolboy clearance to Tarumbwa.  He appeared to want to attract the attention of referee Ncube but instead of booting the ball away to safety and then playing to the whistle, made a mess out of his clearance.

After trying to save Tarumbwa's dipped volley, he threw himself to the ground seemingly in embarassment for the mistake. As his offended defenders went to blame him for the goal, fans on the Soweto end rained in more missiles forcing a lengthy stoppage.

During that stoppage Caps United fans on the eastern stand threw all sorts of containers at Ariel Sibanda's goal as well. At that stage the delay in the re-start killed Highlanders' momentum and Caps hung on for dear life. What Highlanders fans seem not to get is the fact that the team often suffers because of their actions. They are fined and the boys on the field tend to lose it especially at times when they are having an upper hand, working to their opponents' favour.

Every visiting team appears to know that provoking Bosso fans will work in their team's favour.

Mutuma took matters into his hands, frustrating both Bosso players and the referee to end up the winner despite being cautioned for unsportsmanlike conduct. Where he appeared to lose his cool, he compensated with doing the basic, receive the ball, protect it and pass.

A question that still has to be answered is how bottles that end up being used as missiles find their way into local stadia. Fans are subjected to searches as they walk into the stadia and both police and clubs appear to fail to deal with trouble makers.

Decisive action needs to be taken against hooligans which includes banning them from coming close to stadia or turning themselves up for detention between 1445HRS and 1745HRS at police stations.  Perhaps that would be a bold statement that hooliganism has no room in civilised society.