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Partson Ndabambi

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
ZPC Kariba team manager Partson Ndabambi has described the post-match incidents at Hartsfield one of the worst nightmares he has endured in his lengthy stay in the game. Highlanders lost the match 1-3 in a huge dent in their quest for the championship as they fell seven points behind log leaders and bitter rivals Dynamos.  Bosso have been going through a miserable spell of late and a group of supporters and former players have laid the blame squarely on coach Kelvin Kaindu.
There have been calls for Kaindu to resign but the management, through club chief executive Ndumiso Gumede, have come in support of the coach.

The tensions reached boiling point on Sunday as the supporters turned against their own team, reacting violently to the defeat at the hands of ZPC Kariba.
Bosso admitted they were outplayed on the afternoon as goals from Pride Tafirenyika and a double strike by Limited Chikafa made the difference.

Players from both teams were marooned at the centre circle for close to an hour as disgruntled supporters rained missiles on the pitch. Police had to fire tear gas to disperse the rowdy crowd.

ZPC Kariba claimed that two of their players were injured during the siege.
“It was a hell of a time. We spent about 40 minutes marooned at the centre circle dodging missiles as stones were being hurled at us from all directions,” said Ndabambi. “We felt very insecure since that stadium is just too small.

“The angry supporters were shouting, telling us to leave and assuring us that we would be safe because it was only the Highlanders players they were targeting but we didn’t trust them.
“So we had to find cover at the centre circle, together with the Highlanders players and the match officials. We had to find safety in numbers, with the police helping us to block the stones.

“Unfortunately, two of our players were injured in the attack. Tawanda Nyamandwe sustained a cut above the eye and Tawanda Munyanduri injured the back of his palm when he tried to block a stone.

“So we are going to lodge a complaint with the Premier Soccer League.”
Ndabambi said they figured out the situation had been tense since Thursday when they arrived in Bulawayo but that could not distract their preparations for the game. ZPC Kariba maintained pressure on log leaders Dynamos as they remained second on the log standings, two points behind in the race with half-a-dozen games remaining.

They have a tricky path which includes games against Triangle, FC Platinum, Buffaloes, Harare City, Dynamos and lastly CAPS United.
“We might not have been forthcoming on whether we are in the running for the championship or not but, as things stand, I think we are in the race.

“Most of our players have not won anything in their lives and it needs high level discipline to achieve that. We need to keep focused and try as much as we can to be consistent.
“It’s good that we will also play some of the teams that are involved in the championship race with, obviously, the game against Dynamos being the climax of the campaign.

“We haven’t been in the league for long, it’s only our first year and our record with the big teams so far has been good. We have done well against those traditional giants and I think we have that big match temperament. We don’t falter, we always rise to the stage.

“But we realise that there are no easy games in-between because every team is now either fighting for the championship or to survive relegation, with very few targeting a respectable finish,” said Ndabambi.

Meanwhile, Bantu Rovers held Hwange to a goalless draw in a Castle Lager Premiership tie at Hartsfield yesterday.