BB fans in Zim trip nightmare
supporters’ trip to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe turned into a nightmare as they failed to watch their team’s CAF Champions League preliminary round second leg tie against FC Platinum due to a breakdown.
The group of 60 fans only arrived in the City of Kings two hours after the match on Saturday which the People’s Team lost 3-2.
Narrating their ordeal, Bullets supporters committee general secretary Mabvuto Chibambo on Monday said it all started when the team’s coach, which they boarded, hit a rock on the roadside which affected its pulling in Zobue, Mozambique.
“When we departed Blantyre at 6am on Friday, the bus was OK until that time.
“From there, we tried to have it fixed, but it became clear that the bus was in need of urgent attention and we moved at snail’s pace to Nyamapanda Border in Zimbabwe and we found that it was closed,” he said.
Chibambo said after consultations, it was decided that the bus could not make it to Bulawayo.
“It was at that point that management of Nyasa Manufacturing Company [NMC] decided to hire three minibuses at a cost of $900 each (K675 000) to Bulawayo on Saturday morning.
“It was evident that we were facing a race against time as it is quite a long trip from Nyamapanda to Bulawayo and by the time supporters got there at about 6pm, the match was over.,” he said.
The BB supporters GS said by the time the supporters returned to Nyamapanda from Bulawayo, the bus had been fixed.
“Nevertheless, we are thankful to NMC board and management for all their efforts. In fact, they met most costs of the trip as some supporters did not pay. We are also thankful to all the supporters who made the trip,” said Chibambo.
One of the fans Chabvi Mbewe said not watching the game “was painful as that was the sole purpose of the trip”.
Bullets administration director Albert Chigoga described the development as unfortunate.
The supporters returned home on Sunday.