COMMENT: Safety first as football returns

Competitive local league football is set to return next month after being washed out by the Covid-19 virus almost a year ago, when the league was scheduled to take off.

So many lessons have since been learnt since March last year when the first case of Covid-19 was recorded in the country. Sportspersons, like many others in different sectors that have been blighted by the pall of Covid-19, have struggled to put food on the table due to lockdown measures that halted many sporting disciplines, among them soccer, a contact sport deemed too risky when it comes to the spread of Covid-19.

It is our hope that as local clubs gather their players, literally picking up the pieces in preparation for the resumption of the league next month, there shall be no cutting of corners. We need to respect the health guidelines so that we can slowly but surely glide back to some form of normality in sport.

It is quite understandable that fans are hungry for the beautiful game, hence the excitement over the Independence Day clash between Highlanders and Dynamos in Harare. Playing before empty stadiums has been part of sanctions on teams whose supporters turn violent during matches. Unfortunately Covid-19 has imposed a similar blanket sanction on football teams. This is the new normal as the world tries to get the spread of the infection under control.

These are some of the new developments that supporters need to be familiar with, not only that they will not be allowed into stadiums but that it would be illegal for them to gather and celebrate their teams’ victories or gather to drown their sorrows after losing matches. Such gatherings would be as risky as congregating as stadiums for football matches. For us to continue enjoying the beautiful game, we need to stick to the health guidelines as supporters, even as football clubs play their part to ensure that all requirements are met for the safety of players and staff.

It is worrying that already some clubs in the top league are struggling to cover Covid-19 test fees for players and technical staff. We wonder what the situation is like in the lower leagues and hope that authorities have a plan in place to assist such clubs. These are clubs that get very little even in normal times but have gone on a long dry spell of a year without any revenue coming in.

We believe a bailout package of some sort would be in order to assist everyone get back to work, and put food on the table for their families. Let us borrow notes from other functional leagues around the world and adjust the measures to suit our situation. Let us not re-invent the wheel, however.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *