HOOLIGANISM reared its ugly head in a Castle Lager Premiership match at the Colliery Stadium yesterday resulting in a 21-minute stoppage in the 55th minute when an overzealous Dynamos fan scaled the perimeter fence and sprinted to the Hwange goal area where he sprinkled an unidentified liquid substance from a plastic bottle.

This led to skirmishes in the terraces which degenerated into chaos as missiles rained onto the pitch from all directions forcing referee Prince Mathumo to stop the match.

Play only resumed after 21 minutes after riot police were deployed around the stadium with the hierarchy from both sets of the teams’ supporters also working overtime to calm down the agitated fans.

Match commissioner and Zifa Matabeleland North chairman Dennis Tshuma said: “The rowdy Dynamos fan was the cause of the stoppage. The safety of the players was hugely compromised and play had to be stopped. We will prepare the necessary reports citing facts for the authorities to act on.”

Away from the pandemonium that left a number of fans injured, it was Hwange who took the lead five minutes from the breather through an own goal by Godfrey Mukambi when goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya’s clearance ricocheted off his knee into the back of the net.

Five minutes later all hell then broke loose leading to the lengthy stoppage.
When play finally resumed, DeMbare levelled nine minutes from time through a cheeky free kick by Godknows Murwira, which eluded the wall and left goalkeeper Collen Phiri clutching thin air.State media