Football is said to be the world’s most beautiful game but ugly exchange of words between Zimbabwean and Ugandan football fans has set Twitter ablaze ahead of the crunch tie between the two nations in Cairo on Wednesday evening.
The twitter war borders on personal attacks and mind games defeating the notion that sport is a unifying factor.
Emotions are high as the fans went as far as attacking each other’s government policies, a complete negation of the cordial diplomatic relations between the countries’ two presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Yoweri Museveni .
Museveni in fact came into the country to officially open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.
Dubbed ‘Ugazim’ by netizens, the war has seen fans turning their football rivalry into personal attacks.
One twitter user said:
“If a Zimbabwean was to pay OTT for someone in Uganda they would need a wheelbarrow of over 20 million to pay the 200sh”.
These sentiments are a direct attack on the country’s deteriorating economy .
“After not eating bread for weeks and you expect to beat Uganda Cranes,” read another tweet which was a clear jab at the bread shortages in the country.
This development means that tonight’s game emotionally charged giving the Warriors a burden to save their fans’ dignity and fly the country’s flag high.
The match is also a decider for both teams making it a ‘ final before the final’.
If the Ugandans win they automatically proceed to the next stage while the Warriors also need a win to better their chances of going beyond the group stage.
Meanwhile, three players Marvelous Nakamba, Edmore Sibanda and Nyasha Mushekwi were ruled out of the match due to injuries.
Nakamba’s absence is a great blow to the Warriors, the in-form player’s signature is being chased by top European club.
Uganda captain and Mamelodi Sundowns goalminder Denis Onyango has declared war on the Warriors and said he knows how to shut out dribbling wizard Khama Billiat.
In counter, Warriors striker Ovidy Karuru said he also knows the skipper’s weaknesses.
