Dynamos arrived at Babourfields Stadium for yesterday’s eagerly awaited Castle Lager Premier Soccer match against perennial rivals Highlanders, at 13:15.

The Harare giants, who are temporarily using Babourfields as their home venue, were the home side at the iconic Bulawayo facility, for the first time in the history of the rilvary.

Surprisingly, the Babourfields dressing room reserved for the home team, was locked.

“They (Highlanders) do not allow any team to use the home dressing room, even when Bosso are not the home team. Even when they are not here, no one uses that dressing room,” said one Dynamos official who asked not to be named, soon after DeMbare’s arrival.

“So we will quietly use another dressing room, we don’t want any drama before the game.  We didn’t even approach the match commissioner, we are content. We just want to play the game because we know we are going to beat them (Highlanders) this time,” he declared.

Highlanders then arrived and it was all systems go at a packed Babourfields, in the scorching heat.

During the two teams’ warm up, the Dynamos and Highlanders security departments handed a banner to the veteran duo of DeMbare’s Denver Mukamba and Bosso’s Rahman Kutsanzira.

The message on the banner was a simple one: “No to violence, no to pitch invasion.”

Mukamba and Kutsanzira were asked to move around with the banner so that the important message reaches every fan in the stadium.

But when the duo reached the Soweto End, a green bottle was thrown at them.

Assuming the bottle was directed at Mukamba, how accurate would be the throw be, for the missile to hit only the former Warriors captain, yet he was right next to Kutsanzira?

What that simply means is that the Highlanders fans risked hitting their own player with a missile, while trying to show discontent towards Mukamba.

The Highlanders marshalls saw what happened and kicked the missle away, but then followed the two players to protect them.

Just before kick off, Bosso coach Baltemar Brito, in a admirable sign of respect, passed by the DeMbare dugout and greeted nearly every member of the Glamour Boys’ technical team.

The Portuguese coach even had a lengthy chat with his Dynamos counterpart Genesis Mangombe.

It was all systems go before kick off, and the capacity crowd at Emagumeni, anticipated a thriller.

When Keith Madera drew first blood for Dynamos with just two minutes on the clock, it was clear the match would live up to its billing.

Highlanders should have levelled matters five minutes later, but Lynoth Chikuhwa somehow sent his effort from close range with the goal yawning, into the Soweto End instead of the back of the net.

It was all brilliant football being played at a lightening fast pace in the early stages of the game, until the 28th minute.

Dynamos midfielder Tanaka Shandirwa was fouled in the Bosso half and referee Allan Basvi awarded DeMbare a free kick.

While Shandirwa was down, Andrew Mbeba stepped on his ankle, deliberately,  but the referee did not see it. Mangombe did though,  and complained to the fourth official on the touchline.

Somehow,  Basvi gave flashed the yellow card to both Shandirwa and Mbeba,  to the Mangombe’s suprise, but the youthful coach kept his cool and allowed the game to proceed.

From then, tension was written all over the game, with Bosso fans complaining whenever a decision by Basvi would not go their way.

Frank Marakati then headed home Dynamos’ second in the 34th minute and Mpilo End erupted with blue delight.

Then came the turning point, in the 38th minute.

Madera was adjudged to have fouled McKinnon Mushore in the box and Bosso fans went berserk when Basvi ignored the appeals for a penalty.

Bosso fans who were at the Soweto end invaded the pitch and Police details tried to stop them and that is when all hell broke loose.

Chaos at Babourfields, as Bosso fans invade the pitch.

Video by @LawMangenje pic.twitter.com/fP83Vhexna

— Soccer24 (@Soccer24Zim) September 10, 2023

Amid the chaos, a fan was injured and had to be rushed by an ambulance to a nearby hospital.

Inside the stadium, the chaos continued and anti-riot Police had to fire teargas canisters to disperse the crowd.

Scores of people were forced inhale the chocking smoke, in another bad advertisement of the country’s top-flight league.