Sunset Stadium today took the semblance of Nkana Stadium on a very bad day of football when Zanaco supporters battled with pro-Kalusha Bwalya sympathizers at the end of the home sides league match against Konkola Blades.
Mayhem ensued at the end of the game in this Faz Super Division Week 9 game that Zanaco lost 3-2.
The dynamite and fuse were set during the game thanks to some poor officiating by Kitwe referee Alfred Zwaki who ignored foul appeals on Zanaco players but was lenient with those affecting Blades players.
The two sides were level at 2-2 in the 63rd minute while all this was going on.
With a quarter of an hour to go before the end of the match, Zanaco supporters showered unprintable verbal abuse on Faz communications officer Erick Mwanza who was at the game.
“Now you have brought issues of the FAZ AGM to our stadium with your useless referees from your referees desk,” one supporter said.
Blades then took the lead in the 78th minute straight from a corner taken by ex-Zanaco defender Maybin Chishimba.
As tensions simmered, Mwanza made a rare early exit from a league match when he departed together with Zambia coach Dario Bonetti’s assistants.
However, a bunch of Zanaco supporters followed Mwanza to the car park shouting obscenities and threatening him but he was saved from any physical abuse thanks to the quick action of the Police before speeding out of Sunset.
Then, after an erratic last 10 minutes that Zwaki extended by another 5 minutes of extra time, the fuse was lit when he blew the final whistle and all hell broke loose.
One unidentified fan charged to the VIP gate and slapped Faz executive committee member Macha Chilemena who fell to the ground before an aide charged at the assailant who sort refuge in the band of angry Zanaco supporters that was still high up in the terraces digesting the loss and poor refereeing.
Reinforcements arrived for Chilemena almost immediately as scuffle ensued as both known pro-Kalusaha supporters and Zanaco fans took their fight to the car park while the Police struggled to separate the two warring camps.
“Mwatu delelela sana imwe bena Kalusha napa meyasu ponse shuwa? Mule ponoka lelo mulechimona (This bullying from you Kalusha supporters has gone to far and you have the audacity to challenge us in our own backyard. You are gonna get it today),” one hardcore and upset female Zanaco supporter said.
One spectator identified as a Kalusha supporter begged for police to escort him out of the stadium while another attempted to jump on a mounted policeman’s horse before he was taken out of Sunset sandwiched between two horses.
Another target who was clad in an replica orange Zambia jersey synonymous with the Kalusha camp hid amongst the Blades players claiming to have traveled with them before he was fished out and beaten.
Then one Blades fan oblivious to the political background to the tension was lynched by the Zanaco supporters and was saved from further punishment by the police before calm was restored.
RESULTS
21/05/2011
Forest Rangers 0-Power Dynamos 1
Green Eagles 2-Nkana 0
Nakambala Leopards 0-Red Arrows 1
Nkwazi 1-Kalewa 4
Nchanga Rangers 0-Green Buffaloes 2
Zanaco 2-Konkola Blades 3
Kabwe Warriors 1-Roan United 1
22/05/2011
Zesco United- Lime Hotspurs
TABLE
[standings league_id=18 template=extend logo=false]