By Paul Nyathi|It was a tale of Two Worlds apart between Bulawayo and Harare on Sunday afternoon as the country’s Premier Football League gathers momentum.

While Bulawayo soccer fans enjoyed a thrilling ninety minutes of football at Barbourfields Stadium the same can not be said of Harare fans who were in tears as police unwarrantedly unleashed tear smoke at them at Rufaro Stadium.

There was a twenty minute pandemonium in the capital at half time in a lukewarm encounter between failing giants Dynamos and Yadah Stars after a trigger happy police officer unleashed tear gas at the volatile Vietnam Stand.

The Dynamos fans couldn’t take kindly to the police action leading to a twenty minute “mini war” that saw police officers run for safety as the fans vented their anger on them clearing the stadium of any police details.

Police claimed that the officer who was fidgeting around with tear canister unleashed it into the crowded stand by mistake.

The ill timed move caused anger amongst the Dynamos fans who were already unhappy at their team’s lukewarm performance resulting in them thoroughly dealing with the defenceless police officers kicking them out of the stadium.

Highlanders and Chicken Inn served Bulawayo soccer fans with a beauty of a match as they settled to a two all draw.

Highlanders drew first blood with a beauty from the boot of midfielder Brian Banda in the 43rd minute.

Banda controlled the ball with a tap-up before hitting a volley that went into the top right, beating diving Chicken Inn goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze.

The Gamecocks equalised within a minute into the second half, with an equally brilliant goal by Innocent Mucheneka that left Highlanders’ supporters mum.

Highlanders defenders failed to track the goalscorer as he made a run into the box and the Maritzburg-bound midfielder hit a volley on the run inside the six-yard box after being fed by veteran Clemence Matawu.

Banda came up with an assist for Highlanders’ second goal; threading a long pass to Gabriel Nyoni and the speedy striker beat an advancing Chipezeze in the 62nd minute.

What made this goal brilliant is that it took about 10 seconds for the ball to get into Chicken Inn’s net from the time it was released by Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.

The Bosso goalkeeper passed the ball to Adrian Silla just outside his box and he fed Banda a few metres from him.

Banda then released a long-range pass to Nyoni, who collected it in mid-air and struck the ball past an advancing Chipezeze.

However, the Bosso celebrations lasted just two minutes, as Chicken Inn equalised through former Bosso midfielder Simon Munawa, who capitalised from a defensive mix up between Charlton Siamalonga and his keeper Sibanda.

“I think for me, this is what we want from the region, this is the kind of competition you want and today football was the winner,” said Highlanders Coach Madinda Ndlovu after the match.

Striker Kudakwashe Kumwala saved the winless Harare giants Dynamos the blushes with a late second-half screamer that cancelled out Leeroy Mavhunga’s fourth-minute strike.

Yadah, who played with better conviction in the opening, with Mavhunga lively, appeared set to hold onto their slender lead, but thoughtless delaying tactics by their goalkeeper Steven Chimusoro, which also irked the Dynamos fans behind his goal, eventually led to their loss of concentration on a game in which they had the upper hand.

As missiles rained at Chimusoro’s goal area, Yadah captain Jimmy Dzingai lost his cool and got entangled in a battle against the fans when he threw the missile back at the fans earning him a red card in the process.

Sunday’s Results:
Dynamos 1 – 1 Yadah

Chicken Inn 2-2 Highlanders

Triangle 2-1 CAPS United

Shabanie Mine 1-1 Ngezi Platinum