Criticism of Bosso fans borders on tribalism

Highlanders supporters said criticism of their behaviour and that of the team bordered on tribalism and was thus unfair.

Highlanders fans pelted Caps goalkeeper Victor Twaliki and Caps United supporters also stoned Bosso keeper Arial Sibanda but the Harare media is making noise about Bosso supporters and ignoring what Caps United fans did.

There were also incidents of missile throwing at Saturday's Caf Confederation Cup match between FC Platinum and Sofapaka of Kenya at Mandava. Three weeks ago similar incidents took place in the Sino-Zim Challenge Cup between Caps United and Dynamos at Rufaro, with little said of it.

In a statement on the Facebook page, the fans wrote: "While there are just a few unruly elements within our family, it is unfair to project the entire Highlanders family as a family of thugs and hooligans. There is a long-standing conspiracy to portray Highlanders supporters as barbaric knife-wielding hooligans and we don't like it.

"Not only that, Highlanders is being portrayed by the media as a tribalist team with stories of players accusing Bosso of being tribalistic and the Bosso leadership being constantly and consistently being quoted [out] of context.

"As the Bosso supporters and members, we want to set the record straight. There is no team that has such a cross pollination of different tribes in Zimbabwe. We have almost every Zimbabwean tribe represented in our current team.

"Of the 30 players in Mafu's [Bongani] team, 13 players are either Shona-speaking or of Shona origin. The rest are a mixture of Ndebele, Kalanga and Nyanjas. Which other club in Zimbabwe has such a balanced scale of different tribes? So what is the tribalism vitriol that is spewed? This agenda to discredit the integrity of Highlanders must cease forthwith!

"The issue of Bosso violence is clearly being blown out of proportion. Themba Hloli died last year and nothing is being spoken about it. People create lies that Highlanders fans killed opposition team fans in Gweru. All those are malicious accusations."