The case of suspended ZIFA Chief Executive Officer makes very interesting following. There was so much noise about her suspension for alleged mismanagement at ZIFA offices and being involved in betting and match fixing scandals, yet the case has progressed slowly and the much hyped hearing is yet to take place. Rushwaya is further accused of authorising the travelling of the Zimbabwe National Senior Soccer team without approval from the Sports and Recreation Commission.
The hearing, which is supposed to give the Iron Lady of Local Football a chance to respond to the allegations levelled against her, has been postponed for one reason or the other, countless times. The latest postponement is alleged to be due to the fact that the ZIFA witnesses were away. This has been the case in previous times when either Rushwaya or ZIFA’s lawyers have failed to make themselves available. Now there is doubt as to whether this case will get to its logical conclusion.
Already, Rushwaya’s lawyers argue that the ZIFA Disciplinary Committee erred in not convening her internal hearing within 30 days as required. One wonders if the current delays are not going to have the same effect, naturally or at law. It has been the case in many instances in Zimbabwe for such high profile cases to be postponed and delayed until the public has forgotten and they die a natural death.
This case must be explored to its root as it may represent a dangerous cancer bedevilling the local game. Many have argued that the game will be difficult to run for as long as the mother association itself is rotten. Here is a chance for ZIFA to exonerate itself and redeem some credibility.
The whole way in which the alleged mismanagement took place smirks of an organisation that is run on tuck shop management principles. The case puts into question governance structure not only at ZIFA but in the whole sports management framework in Zimbabwe. For instance, how could the Sports Commission authorise the release of funds to ZIFA under such unclear circumstances. Fine, as an employee of the Association, the Chief Executive runs the day to day issues but surely there must be bounds. Borrowing such substantial amounts surely requires Board approval. As the supreme sports body in the country, the SRC must require board resolutions to accompany such applications by associations affiliated to it. So, in our eyes, this case transcends individuals but shows gross ineptness in the whole sports structure of the country.
Even if we look at the issue of the National Team travelling without the approval of the Sports Commission. Yes, Zimbabwe is not the only nation to be involved in such cases, with the latest coming out of Togo where an official received a life ban over the same allegations. But what’s striking is that in most of such cases, the teams involved will not be the official national teams of the countries involved, showing that the football powers that be in that country have the control of their team. Remember the bogus Ecuadorian team that played the then Sunday Chidzambwa coached Warriors just before the AFCON Finals in Tunisia in 2004?
But, in our case, the actual Warriors team was involved.
Firstly, it’s amazing how people then turn up to profess their ignorance of what would have happened when it would have reported in the papers that the team is leaving. Surely one or a few individuals can’t be in total control of a whole nation’s football team. This should be beyond individuals. There must be a system known by everyone involved, including the players. There must be a national assurance in place before they agree to board the plane and leave the country. Let’s look beyond here, and imagine a situation where something more serious than match fixing happens. We don’t mean to be alarmist but so much happens in international travel that our players and officials must be guaranteed that the Government of Zimbabwe, through the SRC, guarantees their travel outside the country. Are there any such things in place? If so, to what extent are they being implemented, not just in soccer, but all sports?
All stakeholders need to be concerned about the blatant flouting of corporate governance principles, which we strongly believe goes beyond the ZIFA CEO’s office. We shouldn’t be surprised when club officials receive “gifts” from their opponents on behalf of their clubs. It seems common cause that after officials have signed on behalf of their clubs and agree to accept whatever decision is made regarding their participation in a competition, they can decide to go against this when the decision don’t favour them. Are we surprised when the nation’s Premier Soccer league reportedly uses two different constitutions to run its affairs? What lacks is simple constitutionalism. An understanding that governance is of laws, not men. We just can’t accept to apply the law and best practices, even where our personal interests are compromised.
All these issues show a bigger issue that goes beyond individuals. It’s a systematic problem that needs to be dealt with. What’s more disturbing is that when one man fires the board that runs his club for being AWOL, and questions why the official team band leaves the country without approval, many rush to point fingers at him and accuse him of all sorts of things. Yes, we all need to be successful at what we do, and support the national cause each time, but we must ask ourselves at what cost. In Goal setting they say it is not the result you achieve at the end of the day which is most important, but who you become in the process. We might all be happy to have played Brazil, but who did we become in the eyes of the footballing world, in the midst of the whole Kentaro dispute? How many other high profile nations will be willing to come and play the Warriors, when ZIFA is now being viewed as not able to fulfil its contractual obligations? In the eyes of the world, it doesn’t matter who was in charge of what, what is important is that there need to be systems which work to ensure that regardless of the individual in the office, all is being done in ZIFA (which in the football world is Zimbabwe itself)’s name, and is above board.
It’s simply this ability to create non personal systems, that work which makes the South Africa Premiership look so many miles ahead of ours. It’s the same puzzle that Zimbabwe Cricket has been able to crack that now sees the Cricket equivalents of the Zinedane Zidane, Luis Figo or George Weah coming to be involved in Zimbabwean cricket. The Alan Donalds, Jason Gillespie’s and possibly Briand Laras of cricket can safely come to play or coach in Zimbabwe because they know that the contracts ZC and their franchises offer hold water, whether its Ozias Bvute or someone else who is in office. Ask Tom Saintfiet if he is assured whatever contract he is holding will be honoured? Ask Valinhos, Sunday Marimo, etc.
It will be interesting to uncover how the whole business of contracts is handled at ZIFA. First, we have a contract signed with the organisers of a match that the Presidency of the Association is unaware of. Fine, maybe we could excuse the then incoming Board as this happened during a transition, but again we will ask, aren’t there constitutional arrangements that ensure that accountability is still entrenched regardless of who is in charge? If not, then we are in trouble. Secondly, a sub committee chosen to interview candidates for a job goes ahead and gives one candidate a contract even before it before it has reported its results to the very board that appointed it. What is happening here? Who really is in charge here? What does the ZIFA constitution say? Can the Association really be bound to contracts “it is not aware of”?
One hopes that there are none amongst the current and previous boards whose feathers have been raffled by the Rushwaya case, and no one has the powers to put spanners into this process. Even for the accused herself, it is only fair that she be given an opportunity to clear her name, and the sooner this is done, the fair it will be for all. We hope that the hearing can finally be heard, for the good of the game!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Are Bosso Loosing The Plot?
Football powerhouse, Highlanders have come under fire after two successive matches against bitter rivals Dynamos were abandoned due to crowd trouble at their home ground Babourfields Stadium. The sports media seems very perturbed by these developments, and are blasting Bosso left right and centre. Below, we feature an article by The Herald Sport Editor Robson Sharuko.
What makes Bosso's issue interesting is that despite agreeing to follow the rules of the Banc ABC Cup, which prohibit clubs from going to court against a decision of the Arbitration Committee, the club decided to have the final between DeMbare and Caps United postponed, through a High Court order. To then have the next match against DeMbare abandoned again seems to be a testimony that those who follow the black and white outfit are not willing to accept a match result unless it is in their favour.
Enjoy the article below, and please make your comments:
By Robson Sharuko
HIGHLANDERS is an 84-year-old football institution, widely acknowledged as one of the two biggest football clubs in this country, whose appeal cuts across racial and tribal barriers and whose journey in search of greatness — pregnant with both triumph and tragedy — has captured the imagination of millions.
To some of those loyal followers, Bosso is more than just a football club.
It’s an iconic institution that fulfils their dreams and has produced a battery of stars whose talents cheered the spirits of a constituency that has always loved the beautiful game since that landmark day in 1926 when King Lobengula’s grandson Rhodes returned home, from studies at Lovedale Institute in South Africa, and formed Lions Football Club in Makokoba.
From those humble beginnings, rose the phoenix that we call Highlanders today, multiple winners of the domestic championship, a productive nursery that has produced legends like Josiah Nxumalo and Peter Ndlovu and a mean machine which, at the turn of the millennium, evolved into the best football club in the country.
In the first decade, since the turn of the millennium, Bosso have been the dominant football club in this country by winning four league titles, but the irony of it all is that classes of super Highlanders teams, which graced our fields in the ‘70s and ‘80s, never won the championship, but still left their mark and an archive of lasting memories for their fans.
To their opponents, especially the Dynamos fans, Bosso have always represented the ultimate prize that has to be captured, and subdued, in an endless turf battle for superiority in a fierce fight for the right to win the bragging rights that come with being called the nation’s best football club.
Even when Highlanders were not winning the league championships, and DeMbare dominated the landscape, the sheer size of the Bosso support base, the passion that runs deep among their fans and the blood-and-thunder battles that were fought meant their epic meetings remained the flagship clash of the domestic Premiership.
CAPS United’s evolution from a club that specialised in just winning knockout football tournaments, into a genuine championship-winning team in 1996 and the subsequent success stories of 2004 and 2005 might have added a degree of intensity to their rivalry with Dynamos, but Bosso remained the prized catch.
While DeMbare and Makepekepe’s duels can be defined in the context of a battle for the bragging rights of a city, The Battle of Harare, the Glamour Boys’ clash with Bosso carries a bigger prize and is defined in national context — The Battle of Zimbabwe.
Four years have now passed since Highlanders last won the league championship and, during that period, the balance of power has swung decisively into Harare’s corridors and Dynamos (2007), Monomotapa (2008) and Gunners (2009) took turns to keep the biggest prize, in domestic football, in the capital.
While Bosso were sleeping, the clubs from the capital did not only win the league championships but they also made waves on the continent with Dynamos reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and Monoz reaching the group stages — something that Highlanders have failed to do every time they plunged into the jungles of African football flying the national flag.
There were four Zimbabwean teams in the Champions League and the Confederations Cup this season, the first time that this country has had such a huge representation on the continent, but Bosso were not part of that cast of clubs which, to rub salt into the wounds of the Highlanders’ loyalists, included lightweights Lengthens.
While little Gunners were preparing for a showdown against mighty Al-Ahly of Egypt in the Champions League, Bosso were bracing for a league match against Douglas Warriors — confined to the domestic adventures by their poor show in the previous season and searching for solutions, in a tough battle to regain greatness, which seemingly couldn’t be picked by their radar.
But even the world’s greatest teams also hit a barren pitch some of the time and their struggles do not necessarily signal the end of their days as a force to be reckoned with.
Some things are just meant to be and football throws a number of such scenarios.
While Liverpool have yet to win a league championship in 20 years, it was interesting to hear from Sir Alex Ferguson, going into the league tie at Old Trafford two weeks ago, that the Reds remain Manchester United’s ultimate enemy and the clash remains the flagship fixture of the English Premiership.
While England have never won the World Cup, since a controversial 4-2 triumph in extra-time over Germany at Wembley in 1966, and the Germans have won the title twice and been runners-up a number of times since that day, there is no question that the England/Germany clash remains European football’s flagship fixture.
The two giants met in a 2010 World Cup second round tie in Bloemfontein in June and England were soundly beaten 1-4 by a rampant Germany that went all the way to the semi-finals before settling for third place.
But that fixture will forever be remembered for that goal by Frank Lampard, which clearly crossed the line and should have given the Three Lions a deserved equaliser, had it somehow not been missed by a blundering referee and his assistant.
For all their hooliganism, the English fans didn’t turn Bloemfontein into a battle ground, even when it was clear that fate had conspired to rob their team of a goal and human error had contributed to their World Cup elimination, despite all the pain that came with losing in such cruel fashion to their biggest rivals.
Years of isolation, in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster in Belgium when 39 Italian fans died during crowd trouble torched by English fans at a European Cup final featuring Liverpool and Juventus, had long taught the English the value of sportsmanship.
Until Heysel was turned into a death cage by the rampaging Liverpool hooligans, English fans and their clubs behaved as if they were a law unto themselves and specialised in adding a terror touch to the game that the rest of mainland Europe enjoyed in tranquility.
Because it was a culture that was prevalent at home, and more often than not went unpunished, the hooligans started to believe that it was the way it should be until that dark day in Belgium when the shock of the death of the Italian fans gave the Uefa leadership the courage to stop the nonsense.
For five years, the English clubs were banned from Europe and, isolated from the world, they leant painful lessons and came back a reformed group.
Highlanders, just like Liverpool before them, carry a certain responsibility by virtue of their status as a massive football club.
In the pre-Heysel days, the Liverpool fans mistook the size of their club, and the sheer number of the people who supported to the team, as a licence that gave them the freedom to bully everyone who came their way and, if need be, use force to subdue them using their strength in numbers.
One gets a feeling that this is the same syndrome that is affecting the Highlanders fans today, their soul persecuted by their team’s failings on the pitch, that pain compounded by the success of their biggest rivals at home and on the continent and a state of confusion created by a leadership that appears helpless to lead the way during difficult times for this sleeping giant.
Neither is their case being helped by the failure by both the PSL leadership and the Zifa board to take firm decisive action, if not on the trouble causers then on the team that represents its fans, and stop the madness that has turned Barbourfields into a battle zone.
The football leadership’s failure to effectively deal with the hooliganism that is clearly rampant within the Highlanders’ ranks has been one of the glaring shortcomings of the men and women that we put into positions of authority, in sweeping changes in the corridors of power in the domestic game, at the beginning of the year.
From a distance both Zifa and the PSL leaders have watched, helplessly, as the hooligans at Barbourfields assaulted the director of a visiting Premiership team, played a big part in the abandonment of the BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-final and then forced the premature ending of the league match between Dynamos and Bosso on Sunday.
They have watched from their offices, as the Bosso leadership — who should be well versed in the Fifa regulations that outlaw the practice of taking football issues to the courts of law — dragging not only the PSL leadership but even the only sponsor who has cared to stick with a domestic game so short on corporate partners it remains on a life-support system.
Now the BancABC Sup8r Cup remains in limbo and, thanks to this circus, we are certain to hear either this week, or next week, BancABC finally telling us that they have had enough of this madness and will be taking their money to cricket.
Where is the leadership in all this nonsense?
Why are club officials being allowed to behave as if they have turned into some kind of super chiefs, in imaginary kingdoms on Mars, where they are not answerable to anyone?
Is this still the same game that banned certain leaders, not so long ago when it was still under firm leadership, simply because they had stepped over the line?
In the English Premiership, Arsene Wenger complains to the referee about time added on in Arsenal’s game against Sunderland and he is hit with an FA charge for bringing the game into disrepute.
Here in Zimbabwe, club officials can take matters to court, and hold an entire tournament to ransom, and still no action is taken against them.
Highlanders, without a doubt, are a big club in a big crisis. For the better part of the last four years they have been trying to find a way back to the big time, to be competitive again, to win championships again, to play on the continent again, to woo their fans back to Barbourfields in large numbers.
They are a team at the cross-roads, crippled by a questionable leadership, a questionable technical team, a dwindling support base and a soul that has been torn apart by the sum total of their struggles.
But Bosso should not be allowed to drag the entire domestic game into their grave.
Their hooligans should not be allowed to turn Barbourfields into a place where nothing but a Bosso victory would be acceptable.
There might have been a number of people who sympathised with their gamesmanship, in trying to get the BancABC Sup8r Cup abandoned, because of DeMbare’s unfortunate antics — to walk away from the field in protest — earlier in the game.
But, after the wild events on Sunday, it’s hard to find those neutrals still singing the Bosso tune.
Yes, referees might be at fault here and there, even at the grand stage like the World Cup, but that isn’t a licence for teams and their fans to take the law into their hands.
The time has come for this nonsense to be stopped and the domestic football leadership has to take firm action, with tough measures, or we can finally bury the domestic game — which has been on life-support for some time now — in its grave.
What makes Bosso's issue interesting is that despite agreeing to follow the rules of the Banc ABC Cup, which prohibit clubs from going to court against a decision of the Arbitration Committee, the club decided to have the final between DeMbare and Caps United postponed, through a High Court order. To then have the next match against DeMbare abandoned again seems to be a testimony that those who follow the black and white outfit are not willing to accept a match result unless it is in their favour.
Enjoy the article below, and please make your comments:
By Robson Sharuko
HIGHLANDERS is an 84-year-old football institution, widely acknowledged as one of the two biggest football clubs in this country, whose appeal cuts across racial and tribal barriers and whose journey in search of greatness — pregnant with both triumph and tragedy — has captured the imagination of millions.
To some of those loyal followers, Bosso is more than just a football club.
It’s an iconic institution that fulfils their dreams and has produced a battery of stars whose talents cheered the spirits of a constituency that has always loved the beautiful game since that landmark day in 1926 when King Lobengula’s grandson Rhodes returned home, from studies at Lovedale Institute in South Africa, and formed Lions Football Club in Makokoba.
From those humble beginnings, rose the phoenix that we call Highlanders today, multiple winners of the domestic championship, a productive nursery that has produced legends like Josiah Nxumalo and Peter Ndlovu and a mean machine which, at the turn of the millennium, evolved into the best football club in the country.
In the first decade, since the turn of the millennium, Bosso have been the dominant football club in this country by winning four league titles, but the irony of it all is that classes of super Highlanders teams, which graced our fields in the ‘70s and ‘80s, never won the championship, but still left their mark and an archive of lasting memories for their fans.
To their opponents, especially the Dynamos fans, Bosso have always represented the ultimate prize that has to be captured, and subdued, in an endless turf battle for superiority in a fierce fight for the right to win the bragging rights that come with being called the nation’s best football club.
Even when Highlanders were not winning the league championships, and DeMbare dominated the landscape, the sheer size of the Bosso support base, the passion that runs deep among their fans and the blood-and-thunder battles that were fought meant their epic meetings remained the flagship clash of the domestic Premiership.
CAPS United’s evolution from a club that specialised in just winning knockout football tournaments, into a genuine championship-winning team in 1996 and the subsequent success stories of 2004 and 2005 might have added a degree of intensity to their rivalry with Dynamos, but Bosso remained the prized catch.
While DeMbare and Makepekepe’s duels can be defined in the context of a battle for the bragging rights of a city, The Battle of Harare, the Glamour Boys’ clash with Bosso carries a bigger prize and is defined in national context — The Battle of Zimbabwe.
Four years have now passed since Highlanders last won the league championship and, during that period, the balance of power has swung decisively into Harare’s corridors and Dynamos (2007), Monomotapa (2008) and Gunners (2009) took turns to keep the biggest prize, in domestic football, in the capital.
While Bosso were sleeping, the clubs from the capital did not only win the league championships but they also made waves on the continent with Dynamos reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and Monoz reaching the group stages — something that Highlanders have failed to do every time they plunged into the jungles of African football flying the national flag.
There were four Zimbabwean teams in the Champions League and the Confederations Cup this season, the first time that this country has had such a huge representation on the continent, but Bosso were not part of that cast of clubs which, to rub salt into the wounds of the Highlanders’ loyalists, included lightweights Lengthens.
While little Gunners were preparing for a showdown against mighty Al-Ahly of Egypt in the Champions League, Bosso were bracing for a league match against Douglas Warriors — confined to the domestic adventures by their poor show in the previous season and searching for solutions, in a tough battle to regain greatness, which seemingly couldn’t be picked by their radar.
But even the world’s greatest teams also hit a barren pitch some of the time and their struggles do not necessarily signal the end of their days as a force to be reckoned with.
Some things are just meant to be and football throws a number of such scenarios.
While Liverpool have yet to win a league championship in 20 years, it was interesting to hear from Sir Alex Ferguson, going into the league tie at Old Trafford two weeks ago, that the Reds remain Manchester United’s ultimate enemy and the clash remains the flagship fixture of the English Premiership.
While England have never won the World Cup, since a controversial 4-2 triumph in extra-time over Germany at Wembley in 1966, and the Germans have won the title twice and been runners-up a number of times since that day, there is no question that the England/Germany clash remains European football’s flagship fixture.
The two giants met in a 2010 World Cup second round tie in Bloemfontein in June and England were soundly beaten 1-4 by a rampant Germany that went all the way to the semi-finals before settling for third place.
But that fixture will forever be remembered for that goal by Frank Lampard, which clearly crossed the line and should have given the Three Lions a deserved equaliser, had it somehow not been missed by a blundering referee and his assistant.
For all their hooliganism, the English fans didn’t turn Bloemfontein into a battle ground, even when it was clear that fate had conspired to rob their team of a goal and human error had contributed to their World Cup elimination, despite all the pain that came with losing in such cruel fashion to their biggest rivals.
Years of isolation, in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster in Belgium when 39 Italian fans died during crowd trouble torched by English fans at a European Cup final featuring Liverpool and Juventus, had long taught the English the value of sportsmanship.
Until Heysel was turned into a death cage by the rampaging Liverpool hooligans, English fans and their clubs behaved as if they were a law unto themselves and specialised in adding a terror touch to the game that the rest of mainland Europe enjoyed in tranquility.
Because it was a culture that was prevalent at home, and more often than not went unpunished, the hooligans started to believe that it was the way it should be until that dark day in Belgium when the shock of the death of the Italian fans gave the Uefa leadership the courage to stop the nonsense.
For five years, the English clubs were banned from Europe and, isolated from the world, they leant painful lessons and came back a reformed group.
Highlanders, just like Liverpool before them, carry a certain responsibility by virtue of their status as a massive football club.
In the pre-Heysel days, the Liverpool fans mistook the size of their club, and the sheer number of the people who supported to the team, as a licence that gave them the freedom to bully everyone who came their way and, if need be, use force to subdue them using their strength in numbers.
One gets a feeling that this is the same syndrome that is affecting the Highlanders fans today, their soul persecuted by their team’s failings on the pitch, that pain compounded by the success of their biggest rivals at home and on the continent and a state of confusion created by a leadership that appears helpless to lead the way during difficult times for this sleeping giant.
Neither is their case being helped by the failure by both the PSL leadership and the Zifa board to take firm decisive action, if not on the trouble causers then on the team that represents its fans, and stop the madness that has turned Barbourfields into a battle zone.
The football leadership’s failure to effectively deal with the hooliganism that is clearly rampant within the Highlanders’ ranks has been one of the glaring shortcomings of the men and women that we put into positions of authority, in sweeping changes in the corridors of power in the domestic game, at the beginning of the year.
From a distance both Zifa and the PSL leaders have watched, helplessly, as the hooligans at Barbourfields assaulted the director of a visiting Premiership team, played a big part in the abandonment of the BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-final and then forced the premature ending of the league match between Dynamos and Bosso on Sunday.
They have watched from their offices, as the Bosso leadership — who should be well versed in the Fifa regulations that outlaw the practice of taking football issues to the courts of law — dragging not only the PSL leadership but even the only sponsor who has cared to stick with a domestic game so short on corporate partners it remains on a life-support system.
Now the BancABC Sup8r Cup remains in limbo and, thanks to this circus, we are certain to hear either this week, or next week, BancABC finally telling us that they have had enough of this madness and will be taking their money to cricket.
Where is the leadership in all this nonsense?
Why are club officials being allowed to behave as if they have turned into some kind of super chiefs, in imaginary kingdoms on Mars, where they are not answerable to anyone?
Is this still the same game that banned certain leaders, not so long ago when it was still under firm leadership, simply because they had stepped over the line?
In the English Premiership, Arsene Wenger complains to the referee about time added on in Arsenal’s game against Sunderland and he is hit with an FA charge for bringing the game into disrepute.
Here in Zimbabwe, club officials can take matters to court, and hold an entire tournament to ransom, and still no action is taken against them.
Highlanders, without a doubt, are a big club in a big crisis. For the better part of the last four years they have been trying to find a way back to the big time, to be competitive again, to win championships again, to play on the continent again, to woo their fans back to Barbourfields in large numbers.
They are a team at the cross-roads, crippled by a questionable leadership, a questionable technical team, a dwindling support base and a soul that has been torn apart by the sum total of their struggles.
But Bosso should not be allowed to drag the entire domestic game into their grave.
Their hooligans should not be allowed to turn Barbourfields into a place where nothing but a Bosso victory would be acceptable.
There might have been a number of people who sympathised with their gamesmanship, in trying to get the BancABC Sup8r Cup abandoned, because of DeMbare’s unfortunate antics — to walk away from the field in protest — earlier in the game.
But, after the wild events on Sunday, it’s hard to find those neutrals still singing the Bosso tune.
Yes, referees might be at fault here and there, even at the grand stage like the World Cup, but that isn’t a licence for teams and their fans to take the law into their hands.
The time has come for this nonsense to be stopped and the domestic football leadership has to take firm action, with tough measures, or we can finally bury the domestic game — which has been on life-support for some time now — in its grave.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
ZIFA and the Rule of Law
By
It feels good to side with the crowd the temptation is great that I blast Zifa and support Norman after all he is of my own flesh and blood above all his skin is as dark as mine. It feels good to have a brother a young one for that matter having a chance to lead our warriors especially when the brother has led it before as a player.
But is it the right thing always to side with the crowd and succumb to mobocracy? NO! My communication skills lecturer used to say even if 100 people agree on something which is wrong it will never make the thing right!
I think Zimbos should respect institutions and systems the new Zifa Board is trying to set up.Rule of law .... lol! Before Saintfiet was there any technical committee set up to select a coach? Before Saintfiet was there any interviews held in Zim for a coach? Before Saintfiet was there a job description of the national coach ever known to the fans? we used to know that a national team coach is a coach fullstop! Before this process did we know that a coach needs five o levels! did we know that the coach draws up the team 4 year plan and drafts concise reports for national development of the game? I think the Zifa board is trying to get us in the right direction and as fans hapana chedu pakusarudzwa kwa coach! Its our money but so what? we dont get fired, insulted or wont win the next election if things go wrong!It is the board that we jeer and sometimes burn and stone their cars kuRufaro Let Zifa do their job lets support the team ndopedu ipapo! If Zifa wanted our opinion vangadai vakaenda kuZEC yoconducter run off between Saintfiet and Saint Mapeza!
Maradona was appointed national team coach weArgies with some of the best players in the world. This was a hugely popular decision in Argentina but for all the stars Argentina fell like a deck of cards when it mattered most... Now Maradona is jobless and even Aston Villa made fun of his application to be the team manager! The moral lets not overburden vaMapeza nebasa remaWarriors groom him sent him for training in Europe make him in charge of U23 make him qualify for the Olympics let him go through the mill and then make him coach wemaWarriors!
So I hate Mapeza? So I hate local coaches? So I am obssesed with foreigners... in someone`s word ndirimutengesi a sell out or even a turn coat? Bush once said if u are not with us then u are our enemy! This is the same with Zimbos if u think differently then u are a mercenary and an enemy! I am not! I am just the guy next door who loves footie like.... hameno! I am the guy who actually idolises Mapeza and believe Zimbabwe can polish him into an internationally renowned coach!
By the way Mhofu is back in Zim taking a break from footie... interesting times.
Lets debate this pa www.soccerzim.co.zw go to categories and go to forums
Yours for Mapeza, Football and the bright future we are setting up for our football!
By Tsungai Albert Mavambe
www.soccerzim.co.zw
It feels good to side with the crowd the temptation is great that I blast Zifa and support Norman after all he is of my own flesh and blood above all his skin is as dark as mine. It feels good to have a brother a young one for that matter having a chance to lead our warriors especially when the brother has led it before as a player.
But is it the right thing always to side with the crowd and succumb to mobocracy? NO! My communication skills lecturer used to say even if 100 people agree on something which is wrong it will never make the thing right!
I think Zimbos should respect institutions and systems the new Zifa Board is trying to set up.Rule of law .... lol! Before Saintfiet was there any technical committee set up to select a coach? Before Saintfiet was there any interviews held in Zim for a coach? Before Saintfiet was there a job description of the national coach ever known to the fans? we used to know that a national team coach is a coach fullstop! Before this process did we know that a coach needs five o levels! did we know that the coach draws up the team 4 year plan and drafts concise reports for national development of the game? I think the Zifa board is trying to get us in the right direction and as fans hapana chedu pakusarudzwa kwa coach! Its our money but so what? we dont get fired, insulted or wont win the next election if things go wrong!It is the board that we jeer and sometimes burn and stone their cars kuRufaro Let Zifa do their job lets support the team ndopedu ipapo! If Zifa wanted our opinion vangadai vakaenda kuZEC yoconducter run off between Saintfiet and Saint Mapeza!
Maradona was appointed national team coach weArgies with some of the best players in the world. This was a hugely popular decision in Argentina but for all the stars Argentina fell like a deck of cards when it mattered most... Now Maradona is jobless and even Aston Villa made fun of his application to be the team manager! The moral lets not overburden vaMapeza nebasa remaWarriors groom him sent him for training in Europe make him in charge of U23 make him qualify for the Olympics let him go through the mill and then make him coach wemaWarriors!
So I hate Mapeza? So I hate local coaches? So I am obssesed with foreigners... in someone`s word ndirimutengesi a sell out or even a turn coat? Bush once said if u are not with us then u are our enemy! This is the same with Zimbos if u think differently then u are a mercenary and an enemy! I am not! I am just the guy next door who loves footie like.... hameno! I am the guy who actually idolises Mapeza and believe Zimbabwe can polish him into an internationally renowned coach!
By the way Mhofu is back in Zim taking a break from footie... interesting times.
Lets debate this pa www.soccerzim.co.zw go to categories and go to forums
Yours for Mapeza, Football and the bright future we are setting up for our football!
By Tsungai Albert Mavambe
www.soccerzim.co.zw
Friday, September 24, 2010
Pick of the Week: Hopefully No High Court This Time
Every Friday, Zimsoccerfan previews what we consider to be the weekend’s major attraction in terms of local football.
They don’t come any bigger than this! Highlanders vs. Dynamos is a big issue and this weekend’s affair will be no different. The two sides are the bitterest of rivals and will be happy to renew the rivalry come 3 O’clock Sunday afternoon. This is the kind of game that sets brother against brother, husband Vs. Wife and drive wedges between friends, if only for 90 minutes.
The Setting
Bosso have been having a season to forget this season. They lost part one of the battle easily, and were also on a losing cause when the Banc ABC Super Cup Semi final between the two sides was abandoned at the same venue some few weeks ago. The incident filled game was abandoned in the second half due to many reasons, among them walks off the field by both sets of players at different intervals of the game as the ref awarded dubious penalties. A disciplinary committee set up by the Premier Soccer League management committee found Bosso on the wrong and awarded the game to De Mbare, but the Bulawayo giants have taken the case to the High court, stopping the epic final that was to pit De Mbare against bitter rivals Caps United.
One hopes that events of the last match will not fuel further tension in the terraces on Sunday. The match needs to run its full course and may the best side win.
It’s an understatement to say Highlanders have been disappointing this season. They problems seem to compound each week with news of player revolt due to unpaid salaries. Despite the fact that Dynamos have somehow become comfortable playing Highlanders at B/F, the stadium no longer had the intimidating Lions’ Den atmosphere of previous years.
Although they have been going through rebuilding exercise, many Highlanders fans will not take lightly to losing against their erstwhile Harare rivals, more so at B/F, so the team will be under pressure to raise their game. Fans will be hoping Captain Gilbert Banda will forget the horror of missing a penalty in the ill fated Cup game, and will be hoping youngsters Protrasia Kabwe and Bruce Kangwa will raise their game. In the reverse fixture at Rufaro, veterans Stephen Alimenda and Joe Luphalha were outstanding for Mantengwane, but both have been lured by the green side of the capital, Caps United.
Dynamos, although not very convincing in their play, find themselves lying second on the PSL log, 10 points behind Motor Action and with 3 games in hand. They will be hard pressed to get a result at B/F to keep pressure on the Might Bulls, who themselves have a tricky assignment against former Champions Monomotapa at Rufaro 24 hours earlier. If the Might Bulls win, pressure will be on Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe’s men to also chalk up 3 points, else they can start kissing the Championship good bye.
DeMbare’s problem, ever since the departure of Cuthbert Malajila has been scoring. This saw them manage only 2 goals in the group stages of the Orange CAF Champions league group stages. The fans in Blue and White will be looking to the likes of Benjamin Marere, Evans Gwekwerere, Wonder Sithole and Dylan Chivandire to provide the sucker puches. Marere has been playing well either on the wing, or a s a cntral striker, but cant complement his dribbling skills and trickery with the goal scoring touch. Gwekwerere has had his moments at B/F, especially in the 2006 season when he broke many Bosso hearts with a hat trick against Zimbabwe Saints which saw him peep then Bosso wonderboy Ralph Mathema to that month’s top scorer award. Given the pathetic shows he has been givng since returning from an ill fated sojourn down south, we doubt if he will have such an enigma again on Sunday.
The Difference Makers
One thing that has really been lacking for Highlanders this season has been that Adam or Peter Ndlovu or Zenzo Moyo kind of player they used to have. The match winners. The one player who no matter how much the chips appear to be down, will pick the game and almost out of thin air, conjure up something that bags the points. Its hard to pick such a player in the current line up. Yes, you would expect captain Banda to lead from the back, but to really expect one of their youngsters to conjure up something special upfront, especially against the rock solid defence of Guthrie Zhokinyu and George Magariro, seems to be asking for too much.
Ironically, De Mbare also not expected to have much fire power upfront. They might have the names, but that’s all they have. Names. Gwekwerere has totally failed to find the touch of 2006 which made him a household name in an unforgettable 3 or 4 month period donning the famous blue and white. Dylan Chivandire at Dynamos is miles apart from the same player at Sundowns.
If anything is to be expected from De Mbare, it might come from midfield, where Marere and skipper Desmond Maringwa (if he starts) will be patrolling. If he maintain his head, Ashley “Compressor” Rambanepasi will be Chuchu’s trump card, and might just be the difference maker De Mbare will need.
At the end of the day...
Like we have written elsewhere, we do not think that this match will produce a winner. It may live up to the billing, but we think it will just have too much tension for any side to allow the other to play. The two coaches will emphasize on defence, which happen to be the two sides’ strengths anyway, and will be a goalless affair.
They don’t come any bigger than this! Highlanders vs. Dynamos is a big issue and this weekend’s affair will be no different. The two sides are the bitterest of rivals and will be happy to renew the rivalry come 3 O’clock Sunday afternoon. This is the kind of game that sets brother against brother, husband Vs. Wife and drive wedges between friends, if only for 90 minutes.
The Setting
Bosso have been having a season to forget this season. They lost part one of the battle easily, and were also on a losing cause when the Banc ABC Super Cup Semi final between the two sides was abandoned at the same venue some few weeks ago. The incident filled game was abandoned in the second half due to many reasons, among them walks off the field by both sets of players at different intervals of the game as the ref awarded dubious penalties. A disciplinary committee set up by the Premier Soccer League management committee found Bosso on the wrong and awarded the game to De Mbare, but the Bulawayo giants have taken the case to the High court, stopping the epic final that was to pit De Mbare against bitter rivals Caps United.
One hopes that events of the last match will not fuel further tension in the terraces on Sunday. The match needs to run its full course and may the best side win.
It’s an understatement to say Highlanders have been disappointing this season. They problems seem to compound each week with news of player revolt due to unpaid salaries. Despite the fact that Dynamos have somehow become comfortable playing Highlanders at B/F, the stadium no longer had the intimidating Lions’ Den atmosphere of previous years.
Although they have been going through rebuilding exercise, many Highlanders fans will not take lightly to losing against their erstwhile Harare rivals, more so at B/F, so the team will be under pressure to raise their game. Fans will be hoping Captain Gilbert Banda will forget the horror of missing a penalty in the ill fated Cup game, and will be hoping youngsters Protrasia Kabwe and Bruce Kangwa will raise their game. In the reverse fixture at Rufaro, veterans Stephen Alimenda and Joe Luphalha were outstanding for Mantengwane, but both have been lured by the green side of the capital, Caps United.
Dynamos, although not very convincing in their play, find themselves lying second on the PSL log, 10 points behind Motor Action and with 3 games in hand. They will be hard pressed to get a result at B/F to keep pressure on the Might Bulls, who themselves have a tricky assignment against former Champions Monomotapa at Rufaro 24 hours earlier. If the Might Bulls win, pressure will be on Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe’s men to also chalk up 3 points, else they can start kissing the Championship good bye.
DeMbare’s problem, ever since the departure of Cuthbert Malajila has been scoring. This saw them manage only 2 goals in the group stages of the Orange CAF Champions league group stages. The fans in Blue and White will be looking to the likes of Benjamin Marere, Evans Gwekwerere, Wonder Sithole and Dylan Chivandire to provide the sucker puches. Marere has been playing well either on the wing, or a s a cntral striker, but cant complement his dribbling skills and trickery with the goal scoring touch. Gwekwerere has had his moments at B/F, especially in the 2006 season when he broke many Bosso hearts with a hat trick against Zimbabwe Saints which saw him peep then Bosso wonderboy Ralph Mathema to that month’s top scorer award. Given the pathetic shows he has been givng since returning from an ill fated sojourn down south, we doubt if he will have such an enigma again on Sunday.
The Difference Makers
One thing that has really been lacking for Highlanders this season has been that Adam or Peter Ndlovu or Zenzo Moyo kind of player they used to have. The match winners. The one player who no matter how much the chips appear to be down, will pick the game and almost out of thin air, conjure up something that bags the points. Its hard to pick such a player in the current line up. Yes, you would expect captain Banda to lead from the back, but to really expect one of their youngsters to conjure up something special upfront, especially against the rock solid defence of Guthrie Zhokinyu and George Magariro, seems to be asking for too much.
Ironically, De Mbare also not expected to have much fire power upfront. They might have the names, but that’s all they have. Names. Gwekwerere has totally failed to find the touch of 2006 which made him a household name in an unforgettable 3 or 4 month period donning the famous blue and white. Dylan Chivandire at Dynamos is miles apart from the same player at Sundowns.
If anything is to be expected from De Mbare, it might come from midfield, where Marere and skipper Desmond Maringwa (if he starts) will be patrolling. If he maintain his head, Ashley “Compressor” Rambanepasi will be Chuchu’s trump card, and might just be the difference maker De Mbare will need.
At the end of the day...
Like we have written elsewhere, we do not think that this match will produce a winner. It may live up to the billing, but we think it will just have too much tension for any side to allow the other to play. The two coaches will emphasize on defence, which happen to be the two sides’ strengths anyway, and will be a goalless affair.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Weekend Predictions
Every Thursday, Zimsoccerfan waves its magic wand and tries to predict the outcome of the weekend’s Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League results.
This week, the local Premiership enters week number 18. Pacesetters Motor Action continue to lead the pack, and got some reprieve from Shabanie Mine yesterday who held their closest rivals Dynamos to a 1 all draw at Maglas Stadium in Zvishavane. The draw left the ten point gap between De Mbare and the Mighty Bulls firmly intact, as the Boys in Blue face their biggest fixture of the season, against old foes Highlanders at Babourfields. The Bulls date former Champions Monomotapa at Rufaro 24 hours earlier. Here is what we think will be the outcome:
Friday 24 Sept, 2010
Bantu Rovers Vs Eagles (Hartsfield Grounds)
The house that Methembe “Mayor” Ndlovu is building seems to be crumbling before it reaches window level. The relegation threatened “Thsova Guluva” need to find the points fast, and this just doesn’t appear to be the game they will do so. Eagles have not been at their best, but have shown that they may have the staying power to be in the Premiership for yet another season. A draw away from home will make the new Warriors Assistant Coach Friday Phiri a happy man, and he is almost assured of it.
This is not a game that many will be paying much attention to, but will have a huge bearing on the relegation dogfight come end of season. We think Eagles will go out there to avoid defeat, and they will be able to do so. A 1 all draw is most likely.
Saturday 25 Sept, 2010
Lengthens Vs. Douglas Warriors (Dzivarasekwa)
This will be a battle of old foes as Lengthens and Dougie settle issues that arise from their rivalry in the first division. Douglas Warriors had developed a reputation of being the near men of the Northern Region Division league as they would escort other teams, including The Happy People to the finishing line. They would now want to prove their mettle when they face one of the sides that once peeped them on promotion into the Premier League.
Life in the top flight hasn’t been easy for the Douglas Tanyanyiwa owned team, and with an injury likely to keep key player Admire Dzukamanja, arguably the most experienced in their rank out, they are likely to find the going tough at DZ. Lengthens do play well at Dzivarasekwa, and on a good day, they should be able to choke up a 2 – 0 win.
Monomotapa Vs. Motor Action (Rufaro)
Aside from the highly anticipated Battle of Zimbabwe Part II at B/F, this is easily the second biggest attraction this weekend. Given that it will be played a day before the Blue Army that supports Dynamos rallies behind its team at B/F, you can expect a lot of them to be there cheering on Monos.
Motor Action have become the latest rivals for De-Mbare, and the way they went about collecting maximum points in an ill tempered tie Vs. DeMbare earlier this season, plus how they have kept on collecting more on the trot, will sway thousands to back whoever they will be playing against. Monoz are likely to benefit heavily this Saturday. The former Champions have not been a convincing lot themselves. In fact ever since they won the Championship, they have failed to reproduce the form locally that saw them play in the group stages of the Orange CAF Champions League last season. They seem to have been content to do just enough to stay in mid table.
The game will be good, if not downright pulsating. But, supposing Alan Gahadzikwa and co. find their rhythm in the middle of the park, and William Kupera brings his shooting boots again, it is easy to expect another victory for the Joey Antipas coached side from Motor Action Sports Club. This is likely to end in a 2 - 1 win for the Bulls.
Shooting Starts Vs. Kiglon (Gwanzura)
Its very difficult to rate Shooting Starts’ performance this season. They have really been on and off, from being blasted 3 – 0 from a confidence lacking Caps United to bravely holding a marauding Motor Action goalless last week. One never knows what really to expect when they march onto the turf at Gwanzura come Saturday afternoon.
Kiglon’s performances will also not do much to help us predict what thy can do. Only last week, they showed how self destructive they can be when they allowed a seemingly out of sorts Hwange side come from 2 goals down to win the match at Rufaro. Give them Dynamos or Caps, and you will see the best out of Kiglon. Against other so called small teams, they become punching bags.
Having said that, we think veteran Elliot Matsika will once again rise to the occasion and give Coach Gishon “Gizha” Ntini something to smile about, come end of Saturday. A 1 – 0 win for the Stars is likely.
Sunday 26 Sept, 2010
Caps United Vs. Black Mambas (Rufaro)
If there is a side that is exciting to watch these days, it is none other than the yellow coloured Green Machine. Maybe the much talked about yellow strip was a sign of maturity that the team has attained since Moses “Bambo” Chunga took over from Lloyd “Llodza” Chitembwe a few weeks ago. Chunga has chalked up four wins on the trot, a no mean feat given that victory had eluded Chitembwe’s side for so long. Zimsoccerfans believe there is more to underperformance of a team than just the coach, but there comes a time when a coach just can’t find it in him to motivate the players, and a new one can come and use the same players to do wonders. This is what we feel Chunga is doing at Caps right now.
What makes this fixture interesting though is the fact that Mambas themselves have been going through some sort of mini revival. After sponsors Twalumba Holdings poured in some cash, and some high profile campaigners like ex Dynamos goalkeeper Willard Manyatera, Defender William Mapfumo as well as ex Lengthens and Warriors fringe striker Richard Mteki joined them, things have been sort of looking up for the police side. Technical Director Madinda Ndlovu will be hard pressed to justify his recent puzzling appointment into the Warriors technical team, and will hope his team will be buoyed by their 1 – 1 draw with his boyhood team Highlanders, to string a surprise against a highly jovial Makepekepe side. It will be a toll order.
Inasmuch as we love the David Vs. Goliath story, we are afraid we are not expecting miracles in this one. If Manyatera is able to keep the scoreline below 3, he would have done a great job. This shall go to Kepekepe and Chunga at 3 – 0
Gunners Vs. Shabanie Mine (National Sports Stadium)
The Champions seems to be another side on a revival. They have all of a sudden re-emerged to take up a top four place, just at a time when we were about to forget who the holders are. Norman Maroto has kept his goal scoring touch from last season, and might become one of the few modern day players to make it onto the Soccer Stars calendar for two consecutive years. It’s been a rarity these days. With his boots on, Shabanie might be in for a toast.
However, the asbestos miners have not been bad themselves, especially given that they are coming to Harare on the back of holding giants Dynamos 1 -1 at Maglas. But then again, one will be quickly reminded that that was at Maglas. John Ncube’s side play a shoddy game the moment they leave Zvishavane and that is likely to see them go down to 2 more goals from Norman Maroto, and they would have done well to offer a response. 2 - 1 to Gunners!
Highlanders Vs. Dynamos (Babourfields)
Those in the know call this the Battle of Zimbabwe Part II. It’s by far the Pick of the Week, and it wouldn’t have come at a better time, tension wise. The last time the two met, it couldn’t be settled on footballing terms. Now the High Court has been called in to try and force a re-match. Rivalries hardly come any bigger than this. Forget that Highlanders have not been at their best, or that De-Mbare have been the punching bag of their Orange CAF Champions League group. All of a sudden, all the underperformers find their rhythm. These are the kinds of games that turn players’ careers up side down, as well as down side up. Ask a guy called Dimitre Bebatov what games of this nature do to your confidence.
Although he led his side in some grueling encounters on the African safari, Dynamos Coach Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe will find no better match than his first one in charge, the one that saw his side, led by one Cuthbert Malajila clobber Bosso 4 – 0 one Sunday afternoon at Rufaro last season. Highlanders’ fans will breathe a sigh of relief there is no Malajila to talk about this time.
The best we will hope for is that this one will see the full ninety minutes being played. Even if its so, we doubt there will be anything to separate the two sides. Yes, a draw will do more harm to De Mbare than Bosso, and De Mbare have a knack of playing their best at B/F, but we got this hunch this one will see a share of spoils, and sorry to the fans, we don’t see no goals being scored. Both strike forces have been so blunt in front of goal this season. It will be good, explosive, entertaining, very good value for money, but no goals. 0 - 0.
Hwange Vs. FC Victoria (Colliery)
This one seems to be a no brainer. Hwange are tough at home, ask Motor Action. They might have come up with three points, but they were made to sweat for it. They also showed that they can do it away from home with a dramatic 3 -2 come back win at Rufaro against Kiglon last week, and seem strong and prepared enough to overhaul the Masvingo based FC Victoria. 3 – 1 to the hosts.
Hey, we are no authorities at this. This was arrived at after some amateur born throwing, the same technique we have been using to try to win the Lotto with no luck ever since we turned 18. So, you might fancy taking us on a Bone throwing competition and come up with your own predictions. Perfect the art now, because soon we shall be offering prizes for the most accurate predictions
This week, the local Premiership enters week number 18. Pacesetters Motor Action continue to lead the pack, and got some reprieve from Shabanie Mine yesterday who held their closest rivals Dynamos to a 1 all draw at Maglas Stadium in Zvishavane. The draw left the ten point gap between De Mbare and the Mighty Bulls firmly intact, as the Boys in Blue face their biggest fixture of the season, against old foes Highlanders at Babourfields. The Bulls date former Champions Monomotapa at Rufaro 24 hours earlier. Here is what we think will be the outcome:
Friday 24 Sept, 2010
Bantu Rovers Vs Eagles (Hartsfield Grounds)
The house that Methembe “Mayor” Ndlovu is building seems to be crumbling before it reaches window level. The relegation threatened “Thsova Guluva” need to find the points fast, and this just doesn’t appear to be the game they will do so. Eagles have not been at their best, but have shown that they may have the staying power to be in the Premiership for yet another season. A draw away from home will make the new Warriors Assistant Coach Friday Phiri a happy man, and he is almost assured of it.
This is not a game that many will be paying much attention to, but will have a huge bearing on the relegation dogfight come end of season. We think Eagles will go out there to avoid defeat, and they will be able to do so. A 1 all draw is most likely.
Saturday 25 Sept, 2010
Lengthens Vs. Douglas Warriors (Dzivarasekwa)
This will be a battle of old foes as Lengthens and Dougie settle issues that arise from their rivalry in the first division. Douglas Warriors had developed a reputation of being the near men of the Northern Region Division league as they would escort other teams, including The Happy People to the finishing line. They would now want to prove their mettle when they face one of the sides that once peeped them on promotion into the Premier League.
Life in the top flight hasn’t been easy for the Douglas Tanyanyiwa owned team, and with an injury likely to keep key player Admire Dzukamanja, arguably the most experienced in their rank out, they are likely to find the going tough at DZ. Lengthens do play well at Dzivarasekwa, and on a good day, they should be able to choke up a 2 – 0 win.
Monomotapa Vs. Motor Action (Rufaro)
Aside from the highly anticipated Battle of Zimbabwe Part II at B/F, this is easily the second biggest attraction this weekend. Given that it will be played a day before the Blue Army that supports Dynamos rallies behind its team at B/F, you can expect a lot of them to be there cheering on Monos.
Motor Action have become the latest rivals for De-Mbare, and the way they went about collecting maximum points in an ill tempered tie Vs. DeMbare earlier this season, plus how they have kept on collecting more on the trot, will sway thousands to back whoever they will be playing against. Monoz are likely to benefit heavily this Saturday. The former Champions have not been a convincing lot themselves. In fact ever since they won the Championship, they have failed to reproduce the form locally that saw them play in the group stages of the Orange CAF Champions League last season. They seem to have been content to do just enough to stay in mid table.
The game will be good, if not downright pulsating. But, supposing Alan Gahadzikwa and co. find their rhythm in the middle of the park, and William Kupera brings his shooting boots again, it is easy to expect another victory for the Joey Antipas coached side from Motor Action Sports Club. This is likely to end in a 2 - 1 win for the Bulls.
Shooting Starts Vs. Kiglon (Gwanzura)
Its very difficult to rate Shooting Starts’ performance this season. They have really been on and off, from being blasted 3 – 0 from a confidence lacking Caps United to bravely holding a marauding Motor Action goalless last week. One never knows what really to expect when they march onto the turf at Gwanzura come Saturday afternoon.
Kiglon’s performances will also not do much to help us predict what thy can do. Only last week, they showed how self destructive they can be when they allowed a seemingly out of sorts Hwange side come from 2 goals down to win the match at Rufaro. Give them Dynamos or Caps, and you will see the best out of Kiglon. Against other so called small teams, they become punching bags.
Having said that, we think veteran Elliot Matsika will once again rise to the occasion and give Coach Gishon “Gizha” Ntini something to smile about, come end of Saturday. A 1 – 0 win for the Stars is likely.
Sunday 26 Sept, 2010
Caps United Vs. Black Mambas (Rufaro)
If there is a side that is exciting to watch these days, it is none other than the yellow coloured Green Machine. Maybe the much talked about yellow strip was a sign of maturity that the team has attained since Moses “Bambo” Chunga took over from Lloyd “Llodza” Chitembwe a few weeks ago. Chunga has chalked up four wins on the trot, a no mean feat given that victory had eluded Chitembwe’s side for so long. Zimsoccerfans believe there is more to underperformance of a team than just the coach, but there comes a time when a coach just can’t find it in him to motivate the players, and a new one can come and use the same players to do wonders. This is what we feel Chunga is doing at Caps right now.
What makes this fixture interesting though is the fact that Mambas themselves have been going through some sort of mini revival. After sponsors Twalumba Holdings poured in some cash, and some high profile campaigners like ex Dynamos goalkeeper Willard Manyatera, Defender William Mapfumo as well as ex Lengthens and Warriors fringe striker Richard Mteki joined them, things have been sort of looking up for the police side. Technical Director Madinda Ndlovu will be hard pressed to justify his recent puzzling appointment into the Warriors technical team, and will hope his team will be buoyed by their 1 – 1 draw with his boyhood team Highlanders, to string a surprise against a highly jovial Makepekepe side. It will be a toll order.
Inasmuch as we love the David Vs. Goliath story, we are afraid we are not expecting miracles in this one. If Manyatera is able to keep the scoreline below 3, he would have done a great job. This shall go to Kepekepe and Chunga at 3 – 0
Gunners Vs. Shabanie Mine (National Sports Stadium)
The Champions seems to be another side on a revival. They have all of a sudden re-emerged to take up a top four place, just at a time when we were about to forget who the holders are. Norman Maroto has kept his goal scoring touch from last season, and might become one of the few modern day players to make it onto the Soccer Stars calendar for two consecutive years. It’s been a rarity these days. With his boots on, Shabanie might be in for a toast.
However, the asbestos miners have not been bad themselves, especially given that they are coming to Harare on the back of holding giants Dynamos 1 -1 at Maglas. But then again, one will be quickly reminded that that was at Maglas. John Ncube’s side play a shoddy game the moment they leave Zvishavane and that is likely to see them go down to 2 more goals from Norman Maroto, and they would have done well to offer a response. 2 - 1 to Gunners!
Highlanders Vs. Dynamos (Babourfields)
Those in the know call this the Battle of Zimbabwe Part II. It’s by far the Pick of the Week, and it wouldn’t have come at a better time, tension wise. The last time the two met, it couldn’t be settled on footballing terms. Now the High Court has been called in to try and force a re-match. Rivalries hardly come any bigger than this. Forget that Highlanders have not been at their best, or that De-Mbare have been the punching bag of their Orange CAF Champions League group. All of a sudden, all the underperformers find their rhythm. These are the kinds of games that turn players’ careers up side down, as well as down side up. Ask a guy called Dimitre Bebatov what games of this nature do to your confidence.
Although he led his side in some grueling encounters on the African safari, Dynamos Coach Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe will find no better match than his first one in charge, the one that saw his side, led by one Cuthbert Malajila clobber Bosso 4 – 0 one Sunday afternoon at Rufaro last season. Highlanders’ fans will breathe a sigh of relief there is no Malajila to talk about this time.
The best we will hope for is that this one will see the full ninety minutes being played. Even if its so, we doubt there will be anything to separate the two sides. Yes, a draw will do more harm to De Mbare than Bosso, and De Mbare have a knack of playing their best at B/F, but we got this hunch this one will see a share of spoils, and sorry to the fans, we don’t see no goals being scored. Both strike forces have been so blunt in front of goal this season. It will be good, explosive, entertaining, very good value for money, but no goals. 0 - 0.
Hwange Vs. FC Victoria (Colliery)
This one seems to be a no brainer. Hwange are tough at home, ask Motor Action. They might have come up with three points, but they were made to sweat for it. They also showed that they can do it away from home with a dramatic 3 -2 come back win at Rufaro against Kiglon last week, and seem strong and prepared enough to overhaul the Masvingo based FC Victoria. 3 – 1 to the hosts.
Hey, we are no authorities at this. This was arrived at after some amateur born throwing, the same technique we have been using to try to win the Lotto with no luck ever since we turned 18. So, you might fancy taking us on a Bone throwing competition and come up with your own predictions. Perfect the art now, because soon we shall be offering prizes for the most accurate predictions
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
They Too Must Be Judged?
Tempers are now kind of cooling, but the feeling that we were robbed is still there. Yes, we still recovering from the shock of ZIFA’s mind boggling choice of a Warriors mentor, but hey, life has to go on. It was yet another reminder that no matter how many times we have shouted ourselves hoarse urging the Warriors on, we the fans are far from calling the shots when it comes to the real issues. How we wish the ZIFA board was voted for in a public election like the Parliament, then we would have a real say. How can the people’s sport be so undemocratic?
Anyway, while we have conceded defeat for now, we still feel that there is still room for poetic justice in this whole thing. Ok, now we are pinning our hopes that those that call the shorts are more Zimbabwean than just holding passports that say so. We hope that there is some shade of wisdom in their appointing someone that pretenders to the Warriors throne called Namibia are disposing of. There is some semblance of sober mind that’s asking us not to speak too soon about the hairy one from Belgium since in Shona we say ungangoshora mbodza neinozvimbira. Being the Warriors supporters that we are, we sometimes have to do away with logic and support whoever pretends to direct the guys in green and gold. But that doesn’t mean that we are letting it seize and settle just like that. No, not when the stakes are this high! We have a demand to make!
Here is our line of thinking: everyone ought to stand up to the decisions they make, and if they are so confident that is the best course of action, they need to commit. You don’t just make such a key decision about the People’s decision, unless you are convinced it is for the best. We will what this Saintfiet is made of on the field of play, as early as next month when Cape Verde visits. Events will judge him, and his appointees, as usual, will have the luxury to fire him if they so wish, and possibly recall Mapeza to preide over dead rubbers after the foreigner has ensured we throw away enough points to miss our on the Big Guys’ showcase again.
We can’t continue to let those who have the somehow exclusive right to spend national resources on bringing Failures here continue to dilly dallying with our hearts without consequences. They too must be judged. Let’s call on them to back their decisions by committing to resign from the ZIFA Board if this Belgian experiment of theirs cost us a chance to dance with the best at the Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. We have admitted, no one would guarantee that Mapeza was definitely going to take the Warriors there, but neither can this Tommy guy. So, someone ought to have seen something in him the rest of us cant that he should be willing to bet their specials on this. So, let’s have it Selection Sub Committee! Let Saintief take us to AFCON 2012, or your seats at the Board become vacant.
If we could have even just one or two of our football leaders making such commitments, we would be miles ahead. The major problem is that these ZIFA people do not account to the people that matter. The ones who fork out hard earned US Dollars to watch our beloved Warriors hunt in the African Jungle. The ones whose diaphragms ache after ninety minutes of vuvuzela blowing, the ones whose voices go hoarse shouting for goals, the ones whose water ZINWA has shut after we ran up a huge bill cleaning up our faces which we had painted in red, gold, green, white and black. These are the people who make bets with their sweat each time the Warriors line up, and they deserve some sort of respect, especially from those who consistently break their hearts with some selfish and misguided decisions.
Anyway, while we have conceded defeat for now, we still feel that there is still room for poetic justice in this whole thing. Ok, now we are pinning our hopes that those that call the shorts are more Zimbabwean than just holding passports that say so. We hope that there is some shade of wisdom in their appointing someone that pretenders to the Warriors throne called Namibia are disposing of. There is some semblance of sober mind that’s asking us not to speak too soon about the hairy one from Belgium since in Shona we say ungangoshora mbodza neinozvimbira. Being the Warriors supporters that we are, we sometimes have to do away with logic and support whoever pretends to direct the guys in green and gold. But that doesn’t mean that we are letting it seize and settle just like that. No, not when the stakes are this high! We have a demand to make!
Here is our line of thinking: everyone ought to stand up to the decisions they make, and if they are so confident that is the best course of action, they need to commit. You don’t just make such a key decision about the People’s decision, unless you are convinced it is for the best. We will what this Saintfiet is made of on the field of play, as early as next month when Cape Verde visits. Events will judge him, and his appointees, as usual, will have the luxury to fire him if they so wish, and possibly recall Mapeza to preide over dead rubbers after the foreigner has ensured we throw away enough points to miss our on the Big Guys’ showcase again.
We can’t continue to let those who have the somehow exclusive right to spend national resources on bringing Failures here continue to dilly dallying with our hearts without consequences. They too must be judged. Let’s call on them to back their decisions by committing to resign from the ZIFA Board if this Belgian experiment of theirs cost us a chance to dance with the best at the Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. We have admitted, no one would guarantee that Mapeza was definitely going to take the Warriors there, but neither can this Tommy guy. So, someone ought to have seen something in him the rest of us cant that he should be willing to bet their specials on this. So, let’s have it Selection Sub Committee! Let Saintief take us to AFCON 2012, or your seats at the Board become vacant.
If we could have even just one or two of our football leaders making such commitments, we would be miles ahead. The major problem is that these ZIFA people do not account to the people that matter. The ones who fork out hard earned US Dollars to watch our beloved Warriors hunt in the African Jungle. The ones whose diaphragms ache after ninety minutes of vuvuzela blowing, the ones whose voices go hoarse shouting for goals, the ones whose water ZINWA has shut after we ran up a huge bill cleaning up our faces which we had painted in red, gold, green, white and black. These are the people who make bets with their sweat each time the Warriors line up, and they deserve some sort of respect, especially from those who consistently break their hearts with some selfish and misguided decisions.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Why Saintfiet?
Some things never change in Zim football. At ZIFA, it doesn’t matter who is in charge, it’s always full of surprises. And there is an age old adage which says never change a winning team that seems to have eluded those in charge of our football.
True to form, the latest board in charge at 53 Livingstone connived to shock soccer loving Zimbabweans with an inexplicable decision to relieve Warriors Coach Norman Mapeza and replace him with one Tom Saintfiet who is being fired by lowly Namibia. What really is wrong with these people? Fine, we might admit that Nomara hasn’t yet proved himself at the top level in terms of coaching, but how better is this guy from Belgium, we wonder? At least we know who Norman is. The man won the domestic championship with a then non giant called Monomotapa. He has played in world football’s top club competition, the European Champions League. He has captained the Warriors and played countless matches at both senior and junior national level. No one can really take anything from the way he has started the current campaign, nor the performance of the team he took to Liberia two weeks ago. So, on what basis did the so called selection committee decide to sideline Mapeza for the unknown Belgian?
Why are our Zim football administrators so obsessed with foreign coaches? It’s very surprising given that no foreigner has even been able to win the regional COSAFA Cup with the Warriors. On both occasions the warriors have qualified for the Cup of Nations and the Championship of African Nations (CHAN), it’s been the local boys who have been in charge, Norman included. We don’t care what their CVs say or where they have coached before, if the foreigners aren’t gonna take us to the Holy Grail; we don’t want them anywhere close to the Warriors bench. Besides, the come at a cost ten times more than what the locals demand, so why ZIFA why?
Maybe the answer to the treasonous decision the selection committee had arrived at can be found in the alternative nominations these guys had made. It is reported that the committee had appointed Black Mambas’ Madinda Ndlovu and ex - Monomotapa (now Eagles Gaffer) Friday Phiri to deputise Sentief. Caps United Goalkeepers Coach Richard Twatwa was also to be roped in. What’s striking about that decision is the fact that neither of the appointees had applied for the job. It would appear therefore that a plot to ensure the interests of the members of the selection committee are catered for in the Warriors set up was brewing here.
We are happy when men who have put personal resources in developing the local game get involved in the decision making hierarchy, but our deduction of how these appointments might have been reached, sends chills right down the spine. It would appear Friday Phiri came in as Solomon Mugavazi’s trump card. Mugavazi is a director at Monos where Phiri is part of the coaching staff. There is no hiding that Twatwa represented Twine Phiri’s interests, being from CAPS United which is owned by the PSL Chairman, and Madinda represented some Regionalists who seems to clamour for some dubious quota system which really has no place in football. This of course is a ploy to influence the team selection and guarantee that clubs like CAPS United and Monos get their players in the national team, and get chances to be bought outside the country, for the likes of Twine and Solo to pocket the dollars.
Mapeza might just be paying for his level headedness. He showed that he is not scared to make big decisions by dropping Captain Benjani Mwaruwaru, his Vice Esrom Nyandoro and Midfield kingpin Tinashe Nengomasha for the trip to Monorovia, and many might have swallowed their hearts when his new look side put up a good show and irked a decent result. This might not have gone down well with some quarters who were hoping he will be condemned for his bravery. It became crystal clear that influencing such a man to pick their favourites will be pie in the sky, and so the ZIFA bosses thought of giving the job to their blue eyed boys. It’s sad that the same men we thought were building our game are the forefront on destroying it.
Yes, there might be nothing yet to suggest Mapeza was going to be a huge success, and who knows, ZIFA might still settle for someone else even before the end of this campaign. But why should we accept the appointment of this excuse called Saintfiet that Namibia no longer wants being preferred ahead of Mushini wemajuzi. Norman deserves a chance, not only to ensure continuity as he deputised Sunday Marimo, the previous head coach, but also simply because right now, there is just no plausible reason to drop him. The man hasn’t failed, and it appears the team, fans and the media like him. So why drop him? Zimbabwe needs to play for consistency if we want our game to succeed. Our neighbours South Africa might not be the best example of consistency, but they showed some reasoning when they appointed Pitso Mosimane to take over from Carlos Alberto Pereira ahead of Gavin Hunt, 3 time League Champion with Supersport. Its clear the decision was influenced mainly by the need for consistency, since Pitso was Pereira’s understudy, and the same reasoning should apply to Nomara.
We are tired of these double standards. If it was not for our love of the Warriors, we were gonna call for a boycott of all Warriors matches long as this Belgian is in charge, but thats too much. Its up to you the owners of the game, maybe we need some uriri on the Warriors bench when Cape Verde comes, or better still in the VIP enclosure, just to express ourselves.
True to form, the latest board in charge at 53 Livingstone connived to shock soccer loving Zimbabweans with an inexplicable decision to relieve Warriors Coach Norman Mapeza and replace him with one Tom Saintfiet who is being fired by lowly Namibia. What really is wrong with these people? Fine, we might admit that Nomara hasn’t yet proved himself at the top level in terms of coaching, but how better is this guy from Belgium, we wonder? At least we know who Norman is. The man won the domestic championship with a then non giant called Monomotapa. He has played in world football’s top club competition, the European Champions League. He has captained the Warriors and played countless matches at both senior and junior national level. No one can really take anything from the way he has started the current campaign, nor the performance of the team he took to Liberia two weeks ago. So, on what basis did the so called selection committee decide to sideline Mapeza for the unknown Belgian?
Why are our Zim football administrators so obsessed with foreign coaches? It’s very surprising given that no foreigner has even been able to win the regional COSAFA Cup with the Warriors. On both occasions the warriors have qualified for the Cup of Nations and the Championship of African Nations (CHAN), it’s been the local boys who have been in charge, Norman included. We don’t care what their CVs say or where they have coached before, if the foreigners aren’t gonna take us to the Holy Grail; we don’t want them anywhere close to the Warriors bench. Besides, the come at a cost ten times more than what the locals demand, so why ZIFA why?
Maybe the answer to the treasonous decision the selection committee had arrived at can be found in the alternative nominations these guys had made. It is reported that the committee had appointed Black Mambas’ Madinda Ndlovu and ex - Monomotapa (now Eagles Gaffer) Friday Phiri to deputise Sentief. Caps United Goalkeepers Coach Richard Twatwa was also to be roped in. What’s striking about that decision is the fact that neither of the appointees had applied for the job. It would appear therefore that a plot to ensure the interests of the members of the selection committee are catered for in the Warriors set up was brewing here.
We are happy when men who have put personal resources in developing the local game get involved in the decision making hierarchy, but our deduction of how these appointments might have been reached, sends chills right down the spine. It would appear Friday Phiri came in as Solomon Mugavazi’s trump card. Mugavazi is a director at Monos where Phiri is part of the coaching staff. There is no hiding that Twatwa represented Twine Phiri’s interests, being from CAPS United which is owned by the PSL Chairman, and Madinda represented some Regionalists who seems to clamour for some dubious quota system which really has no place in football. This of course is a ploy to influence the team selection and guarantee that clubs like CAPS United and Monos get their players in the national team, and get chances to be bought outside the country, for the likes of Twine and Solo to pocket the dollars.
Mapeza might just be paying for his level headedness. He showed that he is not scared to make big decisions by dropping Captain Benjani Mwaruwaru, his Vice Esrom Nyandoro and Midfield kingpin Tinashe Nengomasha for the trip to Monorovia, and many might have swallowed their hearts when his new look side put up a good show and irked a decent result. This might not have gone down well with some quarters who were hoping he will be condemned for his bravery. It became crystal clear that influencing such a man to pick their favourites will be pie in the sky, and so the ZIFA bosses thought of giving the job to their blue eyed boys. It’s sad that the same men we thought were building our game are the forefront on destroying it.
Yes, there might be nothing yet to suggest Mapeza was going to be a huge success, and who knows, ZIFA might still settle for someone else even before the end of this campaign. But why should we accept the appointment of this excuse called Saintfiet that Namibia no longer wants being preferred ahead of Mushini wemajuzi. Norman deserves a chance, not only to ensure continuity as he deputised Sunday Marimo, the previous head coach, but also simply because right now, there is just no plausible reason to drop him. The man hasn’t failed, and it appears the team, fans and the media like him. So why drop him? Zimbabwe needs to play for consistency if we want our game to succeed. Our neighbours South Africa might not be the best example of consistency, but they showed some reasoning when they appointed Pitso Mosimane to take over from Carlos Alberto Pereira ahead of Gavin Hunt, 3 time League Champion with Supersport. Its clear the decision was influenced mainly by the need for consistency, since Pitso was Pereira’s understudy, and the same reasoning should apply to Nomara.
We are tired of these double standards. If it was not for our love of the Warriors, we were gonna call for a boycott of all Warriors matches long as this Belgian is in charge, but thats too much. Its up to you the owners of the game, maybe we need some uriri on the Warriors bench when Cape Verde comes, or better still in the VIP enclosure, just to express ourselves.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Are DeMbare Execs For Real?
Exactly what happens when someone joins the Dynamos Football Club executive?
Some cloud of confusion seems to engulf anyone who joins any team of executives that attempts to run the affairs of this football teams. It seems not to matter who it is, or where they coming from. Even some of the country’s once considered shrewd businessmen have turned into unbelievable blunderers the moment they get into the Dynamos offices. They seem to immediately forget the rules that govern the game, cast corporate governance to the dust bin, start thinking as if the team is bigger than the game itself and seem to consider other teams as mere pawns meant to be sacrificed in the process of getting what the ever demanding legion of their team’s fans call for.
What is amazing is that some of these individuals would have actually served the game at national level, and in most instances running successful business entities. Yet, when they come to DeMbare, all hell breaks loose. Could it be the pressure that is associated with the huge expectations the DeMbare following relentlessly carry season in, season out? Or could it be that these would have been incompetent individuals whose shortcomings would now be exposed by running arguably the country’s largest sporting institution by following? One can’t help but ask these questions seeing the comedy of errors the powers that be continue to make in running the popular club.
The latest one is the team’s exec’s attempt to “borrow” players from other Zimbabwean teams to take to their Champions League match TP Mazembe in the DRC tomorrow. It is reported Dynamos tried to get midfielder Steven Alumenda (CAPS United), defender Zephaniah Ngodzo (Higlanders) and goalkeeper Willard Manyatera (Black Mambas) to be part of their contigent to their CAF Champions League Mini league match against Champions Mazembe. Thsi cam after seven of the DeMbare players had been suspended after picking two yellow cards and red cards in the tournament. Alumanda, Ngodzo and Manyatera were registered with CAF by Dynamos late last yaer, although the former two had not signed for the team. Manyatera was then a Dynamos player but moved to the Police side after being considered excess baggage at the Glamour Boys.
Admitted, taking players from other teams in the domestic league is a practice alleged to be prevalent with some West African clubs who participate in continental championships, but the fact is that CAF rules are very clear that a player can only play for a team in the Champions League that he is registered with locally. Any soccer exec who is not aware of this rule should immediately resign. Yet, DeMbare execs wanted to take players featuring for other clubs for their continental assignment. Even at schools level, where the winning schools would pick players from other schools to form some sort of zonal or district select, this practice has been banned. Yet the Dynamos executives want to do this at continental level. Stop embarrassing us!
What makes this even funny is that according to reports, team coach Elvis ‘Chuchu” Chiweshe wasn’t even aware of his bosses’ manoeuvres. How on earth was he expected to plan his game when he wasn’t aware of the “new” players that were going to be part of his team? And then there is this idea of speaking to the media claiming that other clubs had agreed to release their players for their benefit. This is one very irritating practice synonymous with anyone that become part of the DeMbare executive which has continued unabated over the years. Who do they think they are? Always abusing the media attention on them to become self appointed spokesmen for other clubs.
Now, to consider that it was because of some ill conceived ideas of registering some of these players with CAF when Dynamos had neither contracts with them nor finalised negotiations with their clubs late last year makes the whole scenario laughable. Towards the end of last year, eager to build a team capable of bringing continental glory home, Dynamos executives were busy submitting details of any player in the local league they thought would appear on the soccer stars calendar, even without talking to the player’s paymasters. As fate would have it, some players didn’t eventually join DeMbare and the team found itself with registered players not on its payroll. That misdemeanour is now back to haunt the club at the time of its most wanting, when they need their best performance to rescue an ailing campaign in the cauldron of Kinshasa.
The issues of player registration and transfers seem to be robotics to almost anyone that has been in charge of the affairs of the Harare giants. The handling of the Cuthbert Malajila transfer from Army side Chapungu being a recent case in point. To an independent observer, it was very clear Chapungu were very patient with Dynamos and looked willing to sit down and talk to DeMbare. However, DeMbare blatantly took advantage of Chapungu’s benevolence, and the player’s desperation to play at the highest level and attract the eventual move to Tunisia. Chapungu on many occasions accused Dynamos of negotiating in bad faith, fielding the player when there had been an agreement that he should not play til negotiations are completed. It only made sense for what will be the point of negotiating if the buying club is already enjoying the services of the player being transferred, and indeed Dynamos were enjoying Malajila’s scoring prowess. At the end of the day Malajila made the move up north, and sadly for Dynamos, no cent came their way, despite them marketing the player at the highest club level in the continent.
In 2003, Dynamos virtually lost the League Championship because of their executive’s abhorrence in using striker Eddie Mufema against the orders of the Premier Soccer League. Mufema, then embroiled in an ownership dispute between DeMbare and Eric Rosen’s Motor Action, played in a game against Lancashire Steel and the team was docked three points, which at the end of the day was the difference between them and eventual winners Amazulu. Such wanton disregard of the rules boggles the mind and leaves wondering whether DeMbare’s leaders consider their team invincible and above the law. Or maybe they are just ignorant of the rules and regulations governing the game the claim to administer.
Currently, midfielder Farai Vimisayi only waits to play for DeMbare in the Champions League as he is barred by his club Hwange from playing in the local league, again as a result of a raging transfer dispute between his former and current paymasters. Hwange, Chapungu and other clubs have insistently complained about DeMbare’s big brother attitude when it comes to negotiating for player transfers. Given, many players would want to don the Blue and White strip of Dynamos, but that shouldn’t give the team from Mbare the green-light to hold other sides at ransom, and negotiate in bad faith. It is very clear that if they were to be charged, Dynamos will be found guilty of palyer tapping at many occasions. And this should make them tantamount to being banned from the transfer market. How does one explain a situation where a player considered AWOL by his club features for another in their continental matches? With a player seeing the lifetime opportunity to play consistently before multitudes and the guarantee of continental football, smaller clubs are always at a loss as their want away players drool over a move to Dynamos. This is what normally results in the awkward Vimisai situation where the player only waits to play a few continental matches while seating out the rest of the season. Its pathetic.
To make matters worse, DeMbare hardly give these players, no matter how desperate they will be to please Vietnam stand, long term contracts. Most of them come for one season loan spells, which at the end of the day benefits the player’s original club as they are the ones that get to pocket the money if the player eventually leaves for a foreign club. This was the case with Malajila and speed merchant Edward “Duduza” Sadomba who moved to Mozambique then Al Hilal of Sudan two seasons ago. It is also reported that DeMbare didn’t benefit from the transfer of four players Ephraim Mazarura, Mtshumayeli Moyo, Phillip Marufu and Carrington Gomba to DRC side FC Lupopo early this year. All these players were on loan to DeMbare and the side simply marketed them to cash rich clubs on the continent who paid the clubs that had longer term contracts with the players.
Having botched enough with player transfers and registration, DeMbare were ready to bite the bait from TP Mazembe, in the form of USD 400,000 donation! Surely, any A level Business Studies student who can define Corporate Governance could easily see through the potential conflict of interest associated with such a dubious offer. But alas, some in the Dynamos executive were already buying tickets to go and negotiate “the deal” with Governor Katumba of Katanga Province. Were they serious?
The level of unprofessionalism at Dynamos can be blamed for the constant lack of financial resources the club faces. It may indeed be too simplistic to say if each of the claimed 7 million supporters donates a dollar each, the club will become a multi-million dollar institution over night, but it is certainly true that the Glamour Boys can easily raise a million dollars from its supporters by either donations or membership fees without much struggle. Why such a scheme will never work currently is simply because the current and past leaderships don’t inspire confidence in the club’s following. There are many who could easily part with their lifetime savings to assist their beloved DeMbare, but with the current circus and that of past years, they would rather wait and see.
Given its following and achievements on the domestic and continental scene, Dynamos shouldn’t be struggling for players, training facilities and finances as it currently does. With a professional executive, visionaries who can see beyond lining up their pockets, Dynamos can be one of the biggest economic players in this country. What with the potential to sell replica shirts or even run Sports shops. Potential DeMbare executives must take a closer look at the developments in Zimbabwean cricket, and learn how franchises, which is basically what Dynamos is, should be run.
To hell with the thought that the team must cease to be a community team to be run professionally. DeMbare stands a better chance to succeed as a community team, than as privately held. Look at Barcelona, possibly the world’s most successful community team. They even refuse shirt sponsorship deals choosing instead to emblazon their jerseys with the UNICEF logo. They still afford to have the world’s most exciting player Lionel Messi in their team. DeMbare can do the same. Many corporates are headed by staunch Dynamos supporters, who would die to have their name even on the sleeves of the famous Blue and White strip. Many companies would pay thousands just to have their names and products associated with the famous team, but only if the controversies that often rear their ugly heads can be kept at a minimum, if not out of the picture totally. The team’s leadership needs to get real, realise that they are running the nation’s most supported team and stop the Mickey Mouse business of borrowing players from rivals, receiving donations from opponents or relying on bully tactics to force smaller teams to let their players play for Dynamos for free.
Some cloud of confusion seems to engulf anyone who joins any team of executives that attempts to run the affairs of this football teams. It seems not to matter who it is, or where they coming from. Even some of the country’s once considered shrewd businessmen have turned into unbelievable blunderers the moment they get into the Dynamos offices. They seem to immediately forget the rules that govern the game, cast corporate governance to the dust bin, start thinking as if the team is bigger than the game itself and seem to consider other teams as mere pawns meant to be sacrificed in the process of getting what the ever demanding legion of their team’s fans call for.
What is amazing is that some of these individuals would have actually served the game at national level, and in most instances running successful business entities. Yet, when they come to DeMbare, all hell breaks loose. Could it be the pressure that is associated with the huge expectations the DeMbare following relentlessly carry season in, season out? Or could it be that these would have been incompetent individuals whose shortcomings would now be exposed by running arguably the country’s largest sporting institution by following? One can’t help but ask these questions seeing the comedy of errors the powers that be continue to make in running the popular club.
The latest one is the team’s exec’s attempt to “borrow” players from other Zimbabwean teams to take to their Champions League match TP Mazembe in the DRC tomorrow. It is reported Dynamos tried to get midfielder Steven Alumenda (CAPS United), defender Zephaniah Ngodzo (Higlanders) and goalkeeper Willard Manyatera (Black Mambas) to be part of their contigent to their CAF Champions League Mini league match against Champions Mazembe. Thsi cam after seven of the DeMbare players had been suspended after picking two yellow cards and red cards in the tournament. Alumanda, Ngodzo and Manyatera were registered with CAF by Dynamos late last yaer, although the former two had not signed for the team. Manyatera was then a Dynamos player but moved to the Police side after being considered excess baggage at the Glamour Boys.
Admitted, taking players from other teams in the domestic league is a practice alleged to be prevalent with some West African clubs who participate in continental championships, but the fact is that CAF rules are very clear that a player can only play for a team in the Champions League that he is registered with locally. Any soccer exec who is not aware of this rule should immediately resign. Yet, DeMbare execs wanted to take players featuring for other clubs for their continental assignment. Even at schools level, where the winning schools would pick players from other schools to form some sort of zonal or district select, this practice has been banned. Yet the Dynamos executives want to do this at continental level. Stop embarrassing us!
What makes this even funny is that according to reports, team coach Elvis ‘Chuchu” Chiweshe wasn’t even aware of his bosses’ manoeuvres. How on earth was he expected to plan his game when he wasn’t aware of the “new” players that were going to be part of his team? And then there is this idea of speaking to the media claiming that other clubs had agreed to release their players for their benefit. This is one very irritating practice synonymous with anyone that become part of the DeMbare executive which has continued unabated over the years. Who do they think they are? Always abusing the media attention on them to become self appointed spokesmen for other clubs.
Now, to consider that it was because of some ill conceived ideas of registering some of these players with CAF when Dynamos had neither contracts with them nor finalised negotiations with their clubs late last year makes the whole scenario laughable. Towards the end of last year, eager to build a team capable of bringing continental glory home, Dynamos executives were busy submitting details of any player in the local league they thought would appear on the soccer stars calendar, even without talking to the player’s paymasters. As fate would have it, some players didn’t eventually join DeMbare and the team found itself with registered players not on its payroll. That misdemeanour is now back to haunt the club at the time of its most wanting, when they need their best performance to rescue an ailing campaign in the cauldron of Kinshasa.
The issues of player registration and transfers seem to be robotics to almost anyone that has been in charge of the affairs of the Harare giants. The handling of the Cuthbert Malajila transfer from Army side Chapungu being a recent case in point. To an independent observer, it was very clear Chapungu were very patient with Dynamos and looked willing to sit down and talk to DeMbare. However, DeMbare blatantly took advantage of Chapungu’s benevolence, and the player’s desperation to play at the highest level and attract the eventual move to Tunisia. Chapungu on many occasions accused Dynamos of negotiating in bad faith, fielding the player when there had been an agreement that he should not play til negotiations are completed. It only made sense for what will be the point of negotiating if the buying club is already enjoying the services of the player being transferred, and indeed Dynamos were enjoying Malajila’s scoring prowess. At the end of the day Malajila made the move up north, and sadly for Dynamos, no cent came their way, despite them marketing the player at the highest club level in the continent.
In 2003, Dynamos virtually lost the League Championship because of their executive’s abhorrence in using striker Eddie Mufema against the orders of the Premier Soccer League. Mufema, then embroiled in an ownership dispute between DeMbare and Eric Rosen’s Motor Action, played in a game against Lancashire Steel and the team was docked three points, which at the end of the day was the difference between them and eventual winners Amazulu. Such wanton disregard of the rules boggles the mind and leaves wondering whether DeMbare’s leaders consider their team invincible and above the law. Or maybe they are just ignorant of the rules and regulations governing the game the claim to administer.
Currently, midfielder Farai Vimisayi only waits to play for DeMbare in the Champions League as he is barred by his club Hwange from playing in the local league, again as a result of a raging transfer dispute between his former and current paymasters. Hwange, Chapungu and other clubs have insistently complained about DeMbare’s big brother attitude when it comes to negotiating for player transfers. Given, many players would want to don the Blue and White strip of Dynamos, but that shouldn’t give the team from Mbare the green-light to hold other sides at ransom, and negotiate in bad faith. It is very clear that if they were to be charged, Dynamos will be found guilty of palyer tapping at many occasions. And this should make them tantamount to being banned from the transfer market. How does one explain a situation where a player considered AWOL by his club features for another in their continental matches? With a player seeing the lifetime opportunity to play consistently before multitudes and the guarantee of continental football, smaller clubs are always at a loss as their want away players drool over a move to Dynamos. This is what normally results in the awkward Vimisai situation where the player only waits to play a few continental matches while seating out the rest of the season. Its pathetic.
To make matters worse, DeMbare hardly give these players, no matter how desperate they will be to please Vietnam stand, long term contracts. Most of them come for one season loan spells, which at the end of the day benefits the player’s original club as they are the ones that get to pocket the money if the player eventually leaves for a foreign club. This was the case with Malajila and speed merchant Edward “Duduza” Sadomba who moved to Mozambique then Al Hilal of Sudan two seasons ago. It is also reported that DeMbare didn’t benefit from the transfer of four players Ephraim Mazarura, Mtshumayeli Moyo, Phillip Marufu and Carrington Gomba to DRC side FC Lupopo early this year. All these players were on loan to DeMbare and the side simply marketed them to cash rich clubs on the continent who paid the clubs that had longer term contracts with the players.
Having botched enough with player transfers and registration, DeMbare were ready to bite the bait from TP Mazembe, in the form of USD 400,000 donation! Surely, any A level Business Studies student who can define Corporate Governance could easily see through the potential conflict of interest associated with such a dubious offer. But alas, some in the Dynamos executive were already buying tickets to go and negotiate “the deal” with Governor Katumba of Katanga Province. Were they serious?
The level of unprofessionalism at Dynamos can be blamed for the constant lack of financial resources the club faces. It may indeed be too simplistic to say if each of the claimed 7 million supporters donates a dollar each, the club will become a multi-million dollar institution over night, but it is certainly true that the Glamour Boys can easily raise a million dollars from its supporters by either donations or membership fees without much struggle. Why such a scheme will never work currently is simply because the current and past leaderships don’t inspire confidence in the club’s following. There are many who could easily part with their lifetime savings to assist their beloved DeMbare, but with the current circus and that of past years, they would rather wait and see.
Given its following and achievements on the domestic and continental scene, Dynamos shouldn’t be struggling for players, training facilities and finances as it currently does. With a professional executive, visionaries who can see beyond lining up their pockets, Dynamos can be one of the biggest economic players in this country. What with the potential to sell replica shirts or even run Sports shops. Potential DeMbare executives must take a closer look at the developments in Zimbabwean cricket, and learn how franchises, which is basically what Dynamos is, should be run.
To hell with the thought that the team must cease to be a community team to be run professionally. DeMbare stands a better chance to succeed as a community team, than as privately held. Look at Barcelona, possibly the world’s most successful community team. They even refuse shirt sponsorship deals choosing instead to emblazon their jerseys with the UNICEF logo. They still afford to have the world’s most exciting player Lionel Messi in their team. DeMbare can do the same. Many corporates are headed by staunch Dynamos supporters, who would die to have their name even on the sleeves of the famous Blue and White strip. Many companies would pay thousands just to have their names and products associated with the famous team, but only if the controversies that often rear their ugly heads can be kept at a minimum, if not out of the picture totally. The team’s leadership needs to get real, realise that they are running the nation’s most supported team and stop the Mickey Mouse business of borrowing players from rivals, receiving donations from opponents or relying on bully tactics to force smaller teams to let their players play for Dynamos for free.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hotel Elizabeth for the Liberians
So, it was once again the same sad story of mistreatment of the Warriors on their visit to Liberia. Its sad that our beloved Warriors will remember more being booked into a shebeen instead of a hotel, and the blatant poor officiating of a Referee returning from suspension than the heroics they performed in eking out a point away from home.
CAF can really not do much about home town decisions, seeing they are the ugly patch associated with the beautiful game everywhere, but one cant help but be perplexed by the way CAF seems to continue condoning this dodgy idea of booking people into disused hostels and claim to have put them in a hotel. After so many years, and so much filling of complaints to CAF by ZIFA, nothing ever seems to happen. Why? Doesn’t CAF or even FIFA have some sort of basic standards that they require their affiliates to book their visitors into? Please tell me we can’t just be allowed to book George Weah’s boys into Mushandirapamwe Hotel kuFiyo when they come down this side? That may not be such a bad idea please, Mr. Dube?
Zimsoccerfan thinks teams should be docked of points for mistreating their visitors. Its sooo unAfrican for crying out loud. Kwame Nkrumah and other Founding Fathers are turning in their graves when African brothers treat each other like this, all in search of fame at a White men’s invention called football. From seeing the Monrovia pics, you can’t help but advocate for something as outrageous as that. The so called hotel looked more like some Mbare hostel and all the Liberian FA could say is we are sorry, and “no comment”. What a disgrace?
Of course you can see right thru the whole plan: unsettle them, give them substandard food and facilities, no water and electricity for them, let them wine and complain and take their minds off the game then beat them on the day of the game. It’s so abhorrent to then see the same associations commandeering little boys to walk onto the field with a FIFA Fair Play flag before kick off. Fair play is not just on the field. Be ashamed.
This cancer should not be allowed to spread. It has become too synonymous with our game to nauseating proportions. Our biggest fear when playing outside the country, whether at national or club level, is the off the field tactics, not the game plan itself. Come on! Being a veteran of the African continent is more of how many bad treatments you have endured on foreign trips than how many games you actually played. It’s pathetic!
But, having said that, I still feel so proud of my country Zimbabwe. Despite the many years our boys have endured on the continent, never for a moment have our guys at 53 Livingstone thought of something as mischievous as throwing a visiting team into Hotel Elizabeth, or asking them to go train at Number 7 Grounds in Mbare. Those wouldn’t be as bad facilities as the Hotel Provident we saw on TV the other night. Hospitality is our mark as Zimbabweans, and we shouldn’t sacrifice it even for a place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, right?
Lets hear your comments.
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