By Aldridge Dzvene
HARARE, Zimbabwe — One person died in a stampede at the National Sports Stadium on Monday evening as thousands of football supporters gathered for Zimbabwe’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Zimbabwe Republic Police confirming that investigations are underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The incident occurred at Gate Number Two at about 6:30pm, shortly after the match had begun. According to the ZRP, the fatal incident involved a police public order vehicle and a pedestrian, with one person losing their life during the ensuing stampede. Police have not yet publicly identified the deceased, with investigations continuing and notification of next of kin understood to be pending.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the investigation would seek to establish exactly what happened, while Commissioner-General of Police Stephen Mutamba expressed condolences to the family of the deceased.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police assures the public of objective and comprehensive investigations to find out exactly what transpired,” the police said, adding that a detailed statement would be issued in due course.
The tragedy occurred against the backdrop of a major return for Zimbabwean football, with the Warriors playing an international competitive match at the National Sports Stadium after several years away from the venue. The stadium had undergone renovations and had recently been cleared to host international fixtures, with authorities previously saying preparations included measures intended to ensure a safe and secure return of major football matches.
The match had attracted a large crowd, with reports indicating long queues at entry points before kick-off. The stadium’s capacity for the fixture had been restricted to 30,000 following its partial homologation, despite the facility historically having accommodated substantially larger crowds.
Monday’s incident also brings back memories of previous crowd tragedies at the National Sports Stadium. In 2019, a female supporter died in a stampede during Zimbabwe’s AFCON qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville, while the venue was the scene of a much larger tragedy in 2000 when 13 people died during a stampede at a World Cup qualifier against South Africa.
The latest death therefore places renewed attention on crowd control, entry-point management and the coordination between security personnel, stadium authorities and supporters during high-attendance international fixtures. Those questions remain subject to the police investigation, and the available police account does not yet establish responsibility or provide a complete sequence of events.
The tragedy cast a shadow over the Warriors’ return to the National Sports Stadium, which ended with Zimbabwe losing 2-1 to the DRC after Yoane Wissa and Samuel Moutoussamy scored for the visitors before Marshall Munetsi pulled one back deep into stoppage time.
For now, police have urged the public to allow the investigation to take its course as authorities work to determine precisely how the fatal incident unfolded at Gate Two.
