Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Killing African Football
By CHARLES NYENDE, cnyende@ke.nationmedia.com
A new report from the Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) shows that administrators of the game in African are more focused on personal gain than the prosperity of soccer in their country and the development of the national leagues.
Carried out in eight countries, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the report titled “Killing Soccer in Africa” found that while players have sacrificed their personal fortunes to develop soccer and their community the administrators tasked with developing the game focus on personal gain.
Bribery, misuse of funds, unaccountability and general mismanagement of the national associations in the eight countries are exposed in the report that was released last week.
Highest bidder
On Kenya, the report shows how Football Kenya officials sell the national team to the highest bidder in appearance fees yet keep turning to the government to fund their operations.
The report is harsh on Kenyan football leaders saying they only pick up leadership positions in the game to launch political careers at the expense of football development.
Fifa also comes in for criticism in the report. Efforts to wipe out corruption in national soccer associations is derailed by Fifa which keeps stepping in every time a government has tried to address corruption issues by threatening to ban countries citing government interference.
On several occasions over the past decade Fifa has banned Kenya from international football each team the government has dissolved the federation over corruption and mismanagement allegations.
The report shows how Fifa protects corrupt African football managers and in effect abates the practice that has so crippled the development of the game in the continent.
FAIR is a professional association of investigative journalists in Africa. Its mission is to enhance, deepen and build investigative journalism as a profession throughout the continent.
“Killing Soccer in Africa” is the first Arizona project conducted in Africa. In the Global Investigative Journalism Network, the label “Arizona Project” is extended to a team investigating a story that has led to the harassment, injury or death of an individual journalist who first pursued the story alone.
Severely beaten
The Killing Soccer in Africa report set out to finish the work started by Cameroonian journalist, Phillippe Boney, who was severely beaten after he began probing into the financial affairs of CAF president Issa Hayatou.
Its release comes hot on the heels of another report by African Centre for Open Governance titled “Foul Play?” - http://www.africog.org/reports/The%20crisis%20of%20football%20management%20in%20Kenya.pdf
A new report from the Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) shows that administrators of the game in African are more focused on personal gain than the prosperity of soccer in their country and the development of the national leagues.
Carried out in eight countries, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the report titled “Killing Soccer in Africa” found that while players have sacrificed their personal fortunes to develop soccer and their community the administrators tasked with developing the game focus on personal gain.
Bribery, misuse of funds, unaccountability and general mismanagement of the national associations in the eight countries are exposed in the report that was released last week.
Highest bidder
On Kenya, the report shows how Football Kenya officials sell the national team to the highest bidder in appearance fees yet keep turning to the government to fund their operations.
The report is harsh on Kenyan football leaders saying they only pick up leadership positions in the game to launch political careers at the expense of football development.
Fifa also comes in for criticism in the report. Efforts to wipe out corruption in national soccer associations is derailed by Fifa which keeps stepping in every time a government has tried to address corruption issues by threatening to ban countries citing government interference.
On several occasions over the past decade Fifa has banned Kenya from international football each team the government has dissolved the federation over corruption and mismanagement allegations.
The report shows how Fifa protects corrupt African football managers and in effect abates the practice that has so crippled the development of the game in the continent.
FAIR is a professional association of investigative journalists in Africa. Its mission is to enhance, deepen and build investigative journalism as a profession throughout the continent.
“Killing Soccer in Africa” is the first Arizona project conducted in Africa. In the Global Investigative Journalism Network, the label “Arizona Project” is extended to a team investigating a story that has led to the harassment, injury or death of an individual journalist who first pursued the story alone.
Severely beaten
The Killing Soccer in Africa report set out to finish the work started by Cameroonian journalist, Phillippe Boney, who was severely beaten after he began probing into the financial affairs of CAF president Issa Hayatou.
Its release comes hot on the heels of another report by African Centre for Open Governance titled “Foul Play?” - http://www.africog.org/reports/The%20crisis%20of%20football%20management%20in%20Kenya.pdf
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Captain Benjy Quits - Taking Stock of His Legacy
After the lackluster performance of the Warriors at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday, the team’s skipper Benjani Mwaruwari announced on Monday that he is quitting international football. He felt frustrated by the treatment he got from the fans on Sunday, and given the drama surrounding the appointment of Tom Saintfiet, the alleged acrimony between him and Assistant Coach Norman Mapeza and his general lack of form, we wonder if this was not just the right to call it quits. Indeed, it was a sorry end to Benjani’s career as fans jeered him when he was pulled off, making way for Al Hilal forward Edward “Duduza” Sadomba. Sad for a man who has raised the flag of his adopted country by playing in some of club football’s biggest tournaments, making the millions of television watchers in the world notice this small landlocked country.
While Benjy has been a relatively useful cog in the Warriors set up, unlike when some past Captains quit, is there really a reason for panic in the warriors dressing room. In several interviews aired on ZTV last night, many current and past football players seemed to regret Benjy’s decision, and fell short of urging him to reconsider. But is there substance in that? Where they genuine views, or diplomatic statements sugar coated for national TV. Is Benjani really still needed in the current and future Warriors? No disrespect to the Captain, but we feel his time had really come, and we respect him for having noticed that. It will be unfair to compare Benjani to Peter Ndlovu like many have gone on to, or any other former Warriors Captain for that matter, but it will be important to review the legacy of the Undertaker’s captaincy of the Zimbabwean National Soccer Team.
Mwaruwari burst onto the international football scene through the National Under 23 side, notably in a game against a Mendonca led Angola team at the National Sports Stadium. His two goals, including a last gasp winner helped Zimbabwe irk out a hard-fought 3 – 2 victory in an Olympic Games qualifier. Tongues started waging as the nation looked forward to a new Mr. Goals. By his admission, the goals didn't eventually came as much as the fans expected.
Benjani took over the arm band in a new era for Zimbabwean football. We can look at Zimbabwean football in two eras. The first 24 years where we failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, despite once being ranked amongst the continent’s best 10 teams, and the last six years where we had an opportunity to be at two of the continental showpieces. We have also twice qualified for the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) tournament and won the regional Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup 4 times. It is interesting that Benjani only played a minute part in these successful feats. Do we remember him rising from the bench to steal the ball from a bemused Lesotho goalkeeper and score the third goal (sixth in the tie) in the 2003 COSAFA Final Second Round Match at Babourfields Stadium? So limited was his role at crucial moments, that he was reduced to playing cameo roles, well after some of the vividly notable heroes like William Mugeyi and the forgotten Robson Chisango had done the hard work.
Some players can today claim to be some of the greatest Warriors, or captains of the Warriors ever. The late Francis Shonhayi and Ephraim Chawanda might never have played at the Cup of Nations, but they captained Reinhard Fabisch’s Dream Team is some of its unforgettable epic battles. Who would not have been proud to captain that side that held the Might Pharaohs of Egypt in that replayed match in Paris, France, or to wear the arm band as Zimbabwe banged four goals past a proud South Africa team, and a Cameroon side just returning from the 1994 FIFA World Cup?
After many heartbreaking attempts, Peter Ndlovu eventually captained his country to its first appearance at the Cup of Nations, and also for the second time for good measure. He scored the first ever Cup of Nations goal, and remains the country’s top scorer at the tournament with 3 goals. He has the second highest number of international caps, 100, second only to former defender John “JP” Phiri. He is the all time top scorer with 37 goals, and to date one of only two Zimbabweans with an international hat trick under his belt, after scoring three times in Mbabane, Swaziland in a COSAFA match. The only other Zimbabwean with such a record is Vitalis “Digital” Takawira who banged 3 past the mighty Cameroonians at the National Sports Stadium in the mid 90s.
Misheck Chidzambwa won the first ever regional cup for Zimbabwe in 1985, and added that with another silverware as the coach in 2003. William Mugeyi captained that side which ended the long silverware drought spell. Ndlovu lifted the second, James Matola commanded the third triumph, and Method Mwanjali’s charges currently hold it.
How about captain Benjy? What unique record does he hold for Zimbabwe? Yes, he might have played in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, and he has some personal moments he can brag about, but none of those have an illuminating effect on his role as a Warrior. He might have scored against Edwin van der Sar in the Manchester derby, set the South African premiership alight playing for Jomo Cosmos and attracted rave reviews from Arsenal’s great mentor Arsene Wenger after troubling David Seaman in a EUFA Champions League match, but thats just about it. From a Zimbabwean perspective, what can we say we are going to miss from the Undertaker? Are we going to have moments where fans will call for his return, when the going gets tough, as they did with the great Nsukuzonke?
He might have an opportunity to lift the COSAFA Cup simply because tournament shifted its attention to mainly players still based in Southern Africa, but again that’s a maybe. Through injury, he missed the first Zimbabwean dance with the Africa Cup of Nations, and missed an opportunity to make history, but although he scored one goal against the Black Stars of Ghana at the 2006 edition in Egypt, there is no denying that the most vivid Cup of Nations memory of Benjani we have is the infamous scoop against Senegal. Unbelievably, he lobed the ball over bar with Tony Silver, the Senegalese Goalie looking out of sorts, and it appeared easier to score than miss. That miss, and William Mugeyi’s against Egypt in Zimbabwe’s first ever Cup of Nations Finals match two years earlier, rank as some of the most costly misses by a Zimbabwean striker in our country’s history. It was a s costly as Johannes Tshuma’s infamous blunder in 1991, which allowed Congo to equalise and deny Zimbabwe another Cup of Nations berth. It is on that note that Banjani’s career with the Warriors ends.
As a striker, Benjani’s legacy would have been of hitting the back of the net. Unfortunately this was his Achilles heel. He doesn’t score as often as he should. In fact, right now we are struggling to remember the last time the Undertaker pushed one across the line, either for Zimbabwe in club colours. We know he hasn’t scored for his new side Blackburn Rovers, and if history is to repeat itself, it will be long before he finds his debut goal, as was the case when he made his much publicised move from Auxere in France to then English Premiership side Portsmouth. On the flip side, very few players can match his work rate, but the problem with that is on a day he doesn’t have that much energy, nothing more can be expected from the Undertaker. That attribute would have worked had been playing in midfield, where workhorses are needed to harass opponents and force matters in getting the ball to the strikers. Mwaruwari lacks the dribbling skills of typical strikers like Vitalis Digital Takawira, the sure footedness of Shack ‘Mr. Goals” Tauro, the trickery of Knowledge Musona, the lightening speed of Edward Sadomba or even the composure of Cuthbert Malajila.
If the truth be told, based on current form, and given the following strikers holding a Zimbabwean passport: Musona, Sadomba, Mwaruwari, Nyasha Mushekwi of Mamelodi Sundowns, Terrence Mandaza of ..., Malajila of Club Africain and Kingston Nkhata of Free State Stars, Benjani will easily fall right at the tail-end of that perking order, only that our coaches sometimes are scared to bite the bullet and select players on the basis of history, than current form.
We can’t say much about Benjy’s leadership qualities on the pitch. Although he is naturally a shy guy, its a bit too much for a Captain whose only legacy is to have other players refer to him as “Mudhara”. Fine that’s a sign of respect but we need to recall at least some of situations of changes in fortune which we can attribute to his inspiration. We are actually afraid that if we go to the archives, we might not be able to find a single match in which Benjy the Captain, was voted Man of a Warriors Match. Yet, we can easily remember, we dread to say it, Peter Ndlovu grabbing a priceless winning goal on a hot afternoon in a city called Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in West Africa. We remember him getting a kick in the groin, all in an effort to get the ball across the line in front of a hostile crowd in Kigali, Rwanda. Who would forget Chawanda emerging brutalised from a fiery game against Egypt in Cairo, during the Dream Team days, or William Mugeyi incredibly scoring from a corner kick in a COSAFA Cup final at B/F. Those are some of the moments when legends are born. Someone remind us of such images about Captain Benjy.
It will unfair to conclude this article without acknowledging that injuries have not given Benjani a fair chance, and vastly limited his game tie for the Warriors but there is saying that .... We believe Benjani Mwaruwari took this advice to heart, and is acting accordingly. Quitting international football might give him one last chance to revive his club career, and with luck on his side, be able to string another two seasons at Ewood Park. He made it into Europe’s big leagues on nothing other than sheer determination and an unquenchable work ethic. Unfortunately the same has not borne dividends for his country, and will retire as the man to be captaining the Warriors when they attained their lowest ever FIFA ranking since independence. We are very grateful for what Benjani did for this country, but as of now, as he hangs his boots and takes off the golden number nine shirt, we look forward more to the blossoming of Musona, Sadomba and Mushekwi as strikers of note, and the application of Method Mwanjali’s inspirational abilities in commanding troops on the picth, than a reversal of the retirement decision.
While Benjy has been a relatively useful cog in the Warriors set up, unlike when some past Captains quit, is there really a reason for panic in the warriors dressing room. In several interviews aired on ZTV last night, many current and past football players seemed to regret Benjy’s decision, and fell short of urging him to reconsider. But is there substance in that? Where they genuine views, or diplomatic statements sugar coated for national TV. Is Benjani really still needed in the current and future Warriors? No disrespect to the Captain, but we feel his time had really come, and we respect him for having noticed that. It will be unfair to compare Benjani to Peter Ndlovu like many have gone on to, or any other former Warriors Captain for that matter, but it will be important to review the legacy of the Undertaker’s captaincy of the Zimbabwean National Soccer Team.
Mwaruwari burst onto the international football scene through the National Under 23 side, notably in a game against a Mendonca led Angola team at the National Sports Stadium. His two goals, including a last gasp winner helped Zimbabwe irk out a hard-fought 3 – 2 victory in an Olympic Games qualifier. Tongues started waging as the nation looked forward to a new Mr. Goals. By his admission, the goals didn't eventually came as much as the fans expected.
Benjani took over the arm band in a new era for Zimbabwean football. We can look at Zimbabwean football in two eras. The first 24 years where we failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, despite once being ranked amongst the continent’s best 10 teams, and the last six years where we had an opportunity to be at two of the continental showpieces. We have also twice qualified for the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) tournament and won the regional Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup 4 times. It is interesting that Benjani only played a minute part in these successful feats. Do we remember him rising from the bench to steal the ball from a bemused Lesotho goalkeeper and score the third goal (sixth in the tie) in the 2003 COSAFA Final Second Round Match at Babourfields Stadium? So limited was his role at crucial moments, that he was reduced to playing cameo roles, well after some of the vividly notable heroes like William Mugeyi and the forgotten Robson Chisango had done the hard work.
Some players can today claim to be some of the greatest Warriors, or captains of the Warriors ever. The late Francis Shonhayi and Ephraim Chawanda might never have played at the Cup of Nations, but they captained Reinhard Fabisch’s Dream Team is some of its unforgettable epic battles. Who would not have been proud to captain that side that held the Might Pharaohs of Egypt in that replayed match in Paris, France, or to wear the arm band as Zimbabwe banged four goals past a proud South Africa team, and a Cameroon side just returning from the 1994 FIFA World Cup?
After many heartbreaking attempts, Peter Ndlovu eventually captained his country to its first appearance at the Cup of Nations, and also for the second time for good measure. He scored the first ever Cup of Nations goal, and remains the country’s top scorer at the tournament with 3 goals. He has the second highest number of international caps, 100, second only to former defender John “JP” Phiri. He is the all time top scorer with 37 goals, and to date one of only two Zimbabweans with an international hat trick under his belt, after scoring three times in Mbabane, Swaziland in a COSAFA match. The only other Zimbabwean with such a record is Vitalis “Digital” Takawira who banged 3 past the mighty Cameroonians at the National Sports Stadium in the mid 90s.
Misheck Chidzambwa won the first ever regional cup for Zimbabwe in 1985, and added that with another silverware as the coach in 2003. William Mugeyi captained that side which ended the long silverware drought spell. Ndlovu lifted the second, James Matola commanded the third triumph, and Method Mwanjali’s charges currently hold it.
How about captain Benjy? What unique record does he hold for Zimbabwe? Yes, he might have played in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, and he has some personal moments he can brag about, but none of those have an illuminating effect on his role as a Warrior. He might have scored against Edwin van der Sar in the Manchester derby, set the South African premiership alight playing for Jomo Cosmos and attracted rave reviews from Arsenal’s great mentor Arsene Wenger after troubling David Seaman in a EUFA Champions League match, but thats just about it. From a Zimbabwean perspective, what can we say we are going to miss from the Undertaker? Are we going to have moments where fans will call for his return, when the going gets tough, as they did with the great Nsukuzonke?
He might have an opportunity to lift the COSAFA Cup simply because tournament shifted its attention to mainly players still based in Southern Africa, but again that’s a maybe. Through injury, he missed the first Zimbabwean dance with the Africa Cup of Nations, and missed an opportunity to make history, but although he scored one goal against the Black Stars of Ghana at the 2006 edition in Egypt, there is no denying that the most vivid Cup of Nations memory of Benjani we have is the infamous scoop against Senegal. Unbelievably, he lobed the ball over bar with Tony Silver, the Senegalese Goalie looking out of sorts, and it appeared easier to score than miss. That miss, and William Mugeyi’s against Egypt in Zimbabwe’s first ever Cup of Nations Finals match two years earlier, rank as some of the most costly misses by a Zimbabwean striker in our country’s history. It was a s costly as Johannes Tshuma’s infamous blunder in 1991, which allowed Congo to equalise and deny Zimbabwe another Cup of Nations berth. It is on that note that Banjani’s career with the Warriors ends.
As a striker, Benjani’s legacy would have been of hitting the back of the net. Unfortunately this was his Achilles heel. He doesn’t score as often as he should. In fact, right now we are struggling to remember the last time the Undertaker pushed one across the line, either for Zimbabwe in club colours. We know he hasn’t scored for his new side Blackburn Rovers, and if history is to repeat itself, it will be long before he finds his debut goal, as was the case when he made his much publicised move from Auxere in France to then English Premiership side Portsmouth. On the flip side, very few players can match his work rate, but the problem with that is on a day he doesn’t have that much energy, nothing more can be expected from the Undertaker. That attribute would have worked had been playing in midfield, where workhorses are needed to harass opponents and force matters in getting the ball to the strikers. Mwaruwari lacks the dribbling skills of typical strikers like Vitalis Digital Takawira, the sure footedness of Shack ‘Mr. Goals” Tauro, the trickery of Knowledge Musona, the lightening speed of Edward Sadomba or even the composure of Cuthbert Malajila.
If the truth be told, based on current form, and given the following strikers holding a Zimbabwean passport: Musona, Sadomba, Mwaruwari, Nyasha Mushekwi of Mamelodi Sundowns, Terrence Mandaza of ..., Malajila of Club Africain and Kingston Nkhata of Free State Stars, Benjani will easily fall right at the tail-end of that perking order, only that our coaches sometimes are scared to bite the bullet and select players on the basis of history, than current form.
We can’t say much about Benjy’s leadership qualities on the pitch. Although he is naturally a shy guy, its a bit too much for a Captain whose only legacy is to have other players refer to him as “Mudhara”. Fine that’s a sign of respect but we need to recall at least some of situations of changes in fortune which we can attribute to his inspiration. We are actually afraid that if we go to the archives, we might not be able to find a single match in which Benjy the Captain, was voted Man of a Warriors Match. Yet, we can easily remember, we dread to say it, Peter Ndlovu grabbing a priceless winning goal on a hot afternoon in a city called Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in West Africa. We remember him getting a kick in the groin, all in an effort to get the ball across the line in front of a hostile crowd in Kigali, Rwanda. Who would forget Chawanda emerging brutalised from a fiery game against Egypt in Cairo, during the Dream Team days, or William Mugeyi incredibly scoring from a corner kick in a COSAFA Cup final at B/F. Those are some of the moments when legends are born. Someone remind us of such images about Captain Benjy.
It will unfair to conclude this article without acknowledging that injuries have not given Benjani a fair chance, and vastly limited his game tie for the Warriors but there is saying that .... We believe Benjani Mwaruwari took this advice to heart, and is acting accordingly. Quitting international football might give him one last chance to revive his club career, and with luck on his side, be able to string another two seasons at Ewood Park. He made it into Europe’s big leagues on nothing other than sheer determination and an unquenchable work ethic. Unfortunately the same has not borne dividends for his country, and will retire as the man to be captaining the Warriors when they attained their lowest ever FIFA ranking since independence. We are very grateful for what Benjani did for this country, but as of now, as he hangs his boots and takes off the golden number nine shirt, we look forward more to the blossoming of Musona, Sadomba and Mushekwi as strikers of note, and the application of Method Mwanjali’s inspirational abilities in commanding troops on the picth, than a reversal of the retirement decision.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
What A Tame Show - Where was the Hunger?
We write with a heavy heart after a very pathetic performance by our beloved Warriors at home against little known Cape Verde Islands. What was supposed to be our first win of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualified turned into a drab affair that makes a mockery of our team’s nickname.
What a docile show our boys put up today? No real Warrior can undertake such a hunt and expect to bring home even a squirrel, let alone a whole blue shark. There was just no bite, no fight nor might in the Warriors game. We saw a big Benjani opting to let little Knowledge go into all the aerial tussles with the giants from across the ocean, when it was obvious the little boy was short on height and stamina. We saw no Fire in Tafadzwa Rusike, who would let the ball skid to the touch line for as long as it wasn't kicked directly at him. There was no sting in the only free kick Method Mwanjali got a few metres from goal. Speed seemed to have deserted the reliable Edward "Duduza" Sadomba at key moments today, and the usually precise Musona seemed to lose his balance and bearings, missing the spoor that led to the Cape Verde goal line. Myasha Mushekwi refused to be the poisonous spear coaches Madinda Ndlovu and Norman could throw at the Sharks late on, as he landed on the beach, failing to move again and remaining far from the lounging sharks in the ocean.
It’s very tempting at this point in time to look back at what has been christened the “week of drama” and blame the tame performance at ZIFA’s bungling and the associated upheaval that came with the appointment and deportation of the new substantive coach Tom Saintfiet, but that will just be hiding behind our fingers. No matter who would have been coaching, our players lacked the hunger to win. As one analyst put it, there just wasn’t a single one of them who was saying to himself, “Let me win this one for my country”. The midfielders lacked composure, the strikers unsettled and the defenders, with the Blue Sharks opting to sit back and not attack, were mere spectators. One could say the events of the week took the morale out of the team, but the Warriors were just too docile.
The team that turned up for duty today was a far cry from the hunting Warriors that invaded a jungle called Monrovia last month. We had more shorts at goal in the first half only in Monrovia than the entire match today. The Liberia keeper made five times more saves to deny the likes of Knowledge Musona and even substitute midfielder Lionel Mtizwa, than the Cape Verde goalie did today. We can hardly remember a spectacular save being made by the Islanders’ goalkeeper today. We might have seen it differently, but Zimbabwe only had three build ups into the box. Twice in the first half when Captain Benjani eventually fell when about to pull the trigger, and when Justice Majabvi failed to connect after being set up by Mwaruwari’s header. Although the second half was more lively, only substitute Nyasha Mushekwi’s effort blazed over the bar qualifies to be counted a team build up that could have led to something. We only saw one header on target, Knowledge Musona's at the end of a beautiful cross by Justice Majabvi. All other chances were really just that, chances that came by luck, with no purposeful creativity behind them. All this smacks of a team that really had plan as to how to win this game.
For once it looked like the plan was to attack through the wings, and to their credit, wingbacks Onismo Bhasera and Noel Kaseke did their bit in whipping in crosses. But there is something wrong with a strategy where you target your shortest player in the attack with all high balls. All the crosses seemed to target Musona, and given the height of the opposition, that strategy was definitely not going to pay any dividends. Initially we thought it was Captain Benjy who was lacking the energy to go for the high balls, but the trend continued even when Mushekwi came in. Fine, Knowledge is the boy on form, and was most likely to score than anyone else in that attack, but to target him with high balls was certainly a lost cause. Each team which decides to attack through the wings will have one weapon, a big striker in the centre to aim at, and with Benjani and later Mushekwi in the team, it looked like a good strategy. We can bet our bottom dollar that if Majabvi’s cross in the second half had been aimed at Shekwi or Benjy, it would have been buried. Musona failed to score not because of anything but his height, simple.
Our passing was atrocious to say the least. Only one pass in the first half by Noel Kaseke could qualify as defence splitting. All the others, lucky bounces. It was clear that each time either Clement Matawu, Rusike, Esrom Nyandoro or Majabvi tried to weight in a pass, it will go to an opponent, or be too heavy for their team mates. The one time that Musona seemed to pick Rusike in acres of space on the left in the first half, the later decided to be a spectator and let the ball out for a goal kick. That was lame!
Our defenders had an off day. Yes, the visitors were not attacking that much, but it is on a day like this that the defender goes on sporadic forays to help in attack, especially when chances continue to be wasted like that. Only Method tried this late on in the game, but even for him, chesting the ball seemed too much a task, and had to use his hand, in full view of the officials who had no option but to blow. That was just not Warrior like.
The whole first half of the game today was a mere waste of time. There was just no hunger to win the game. It was no surprise that we got our first corner at the stroke of halftime, and we had not had a single short at goal. No one in the team seemed to want to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and dictate things. Majabvi was the central midfielder expected to spray passes, but he was clearly playing out of position. He has the capacity to do that, but only when playing from deep “in the hole”. It was clear that the coaches had a difficult time deciding between Majabvi and Esrom Nyandoro. After Majabvi’s stellar performance in Liberia, and the reliability that comes with a veteran like Nyandoro, they probably needed to either flip a coin, or throw them both in and hope for the best. They chose the later, and it was a deadly mistake. Someone needed to bite the bullet and bench one of them. Ashley Rambanepasi and Tinashe Nengomasha are equally gritty players who can play the holding role, but their ability to also play further up and support the strikers is way better than both Esrom and Majabvi. Rambanepasi has been doing that to massive effect for Dynamos all season this year. An option would have been to play Matawu behind the strikers, and even throw Sadomba on that right wing from the word go. We just needed to start by running at those Sharks like we later did in the second half, but we were rather too cautious.
Credit to the bench, the approach was a bit different in the second half. We forced 2 to 3 corners in a space of a few minutes, and panic pangs started to attack the Islnders’ defence, but then again, we couldn’t kill them. For a moment we thought someone on the bench had balls when they pulled out Matawu for Mushekwi and Benjani for Sadomba, but we wondered if we had thrown in the towel when Vusa Nyoni then came in for Musona. Fine, the young man missed a number of chances, but with 5 minutes to go and you are looking for a last gasp winner who would you rather have on the pitch, Musona or Nyoni? That was the epitome of the lack of will to win the entire team showed. It was time to go for broke. Cape Verde had long shown that unless we really beg them, they were not interested in trying things at Washington Arubi’s goal, except at that one moment when their striker blasted over the bar. Yes Nyoni was welcome, but for someone else, like Majabvi or even Nyandoro. You want those who are carrying the confidence from their club games, those that have hit the back of the net a few games back, those with proverbial stroke of luck, to be close to where the ball drops at such instances. That, our coaches missed.
So, its back to the drawing board for the Warriors. Painful it is. It’s more painful because we did not loose 2 points to a better side. We can’t even tell how good the Islanders are because they simply did not play. They came to wait for us to throw things at them, and that hardly happened. We lost 2 points not because we had a bad side, but just that amongst our players, no one really stood up to be counted. At this rate, we might have to suspend the use of the beloved nickname until the real spear wielding and blood thirsty Warriors stand up!
Your comments please?
What a docile show our boys put up today? No real Warrior can undertake such a hunt and expect to bring home even a squirrel, let alone a whole blue shark. There was just no bite, no fight nor might in the Warriors game. We saw a big Benjani opting to let little Knowledge go into all the aerial tussles with the giants from across the ocean, when it was obvious the little boy was short on height and stamina. We saw no Fire in Tafadzwa Rusike, who would let the ball skid to the touch line for as long as it wasn't kicked directly at him. There was no sting in the only free kick Method Mwanjali got a few metres from goal. Speed seemed to have deserted the reliable Edward "Duduza" Sadomba at key moments today, and the usually precise Musona seemed to lose his balance and bearings, missing the spoor that led to the Cape Verde goal line. Myasha Mushekwi refused to be the poisonous spear coaches Madinda Ndlovu and Norman could throw at the Sharks late on, as he landed on the beach, failing to move again and remaining far from the lounging sharks in the ocean.
It’s very tempting at this point in time to look back at what has been christened the “week of drama” and blame the tame performance at ZIFA’s bungling and the associated upheaval that came with the appointment and deportation of the new substantive coach Tom Saintfiet, but that will just be hiding behind our fingers. No matter who would have been coaching, our players lacked the hunger to win. As one analyst put it, there just wasn’t a single one of them who was saying to himself, “Let me win this one for my country”. The midfielders lacked composure, the strikers unsettled and the defenders, with the Blue Sharks opting to sit back and not attack, were mere spectators. One could say the events of the week took the morale out of the team, but the Warriors were just too docile.
The team that turned up for duty today was a far cry from the hunting Warriors that invaded a jungle called Monrovia last month. We had more shorts at goal in the first half only in Monrovia than the entire match today. The Liberia keeper made five times more saves to deny the likes of Knowledge Musona and even substitute midfielder Lionel Mtizwa, than the Cape Verde goalie did today. We can hardly remember a spectacular save being made by the Islanders’ goalkeeper today. We might have seen it differently, but Zimbabwe only had three build ups into the box. Twice in the first half when Captain Benjani eventually fell when about to pull the trigger, and when Justice Majabvi failed to connect after being set up by Mwaruwari’s header. Although the second half was more lively, only substitute Nyasha Mushekwi’s effort blazed over the bar qualifies to be counted a team build up that could have led to something. We only saw one header on target, Knowledge Musona's at the end of a beautiful cross by Justice Majabvi. All other chances were really just that, chances that came by luck, with no purposeful creativity behind them. All this smacks of a team that really had plan as to how to win this game.
For once it looked like the plan was to attack through the wings, and to their credit, wingbacks Onismo Bhasera and Noel Kaseke did their bit in whipping in crosses. But there is something wrong with a strategy where you target your shortest player in the attack with all high balls. All the crosses seemed to target Musona, and given the height of the opposition, that strategy was definitely not going to pay any dividends. Initially we thought it was Captain Benjy who was lacking the energy to go for the high balls, but the trend continued even when Mushekwi came in. Fine, Knowledge is the boy on form, and was most likely to score than anyone else in that attack, but to target him with high balls was certainly a lost cause. Each team which decides to attack through the wings will have one weapon, a big striker in the centre to aim at, and with Benjani and later Mushekwi in the team, it looked like a good strategy. We can bet our bottom dollar that if Majabvi’s cross in the second half had been aimed at Shekwi or Benjy, it would have been buried. Musona failed to score not because of anything but his height, simple.
Our passing was atrocious to say the least. Only one pass in the first half by Noel Kaseke could qualify as defence splitting. All the others, lucky bounces. It was clear that each time either Clement Matawu, Rusike, Esrom Nyandoro or Majabvi tried to weight in a pass, it will go to an opponent, or be too heavy for their team mates. The one time that Musona seemed to pick Rusike in acres of space on the left in the first half, the later decided to be a spectator and let the ball out for a goal kick. That was lame!
Our defenders had an off day. Yes, the visitors were not attacking that much, but it is on a day like this that the defender goes on sporadic forays to help in attack, especially when chances continue to be wasted like that. Only Method tried this late on in the game, but even for him, chesting the ball seemed too much a task, and had to use his hand, in full view of the officials who had no option but to blow. That was just not Warrior like.
The whole first half of the game today was a mere waste of time. There was just no hunger to win the game. It was no surprise that we got our first corner at the stroke of halftime, and we had not had a single short at goal. No one in the team seemed to want to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and dictate things. Majabvi was the central midfielder expected to spray passes, but he was clearly playing out of position. He has the capacity to do that, but only when playing from deep “in the hole”. It was clear that the coaches had a difficult time deciding between Majabvi and Esrom Nyandoro. After Majabvi’s stellar performance in Liberia, and the reliability that comes with a veteran like Nyandoro, they probably needed to either flip a coin, or throw them both in and hope for the best. They chose the later, and it was a deadly mistake. Someone needed to bite the bullet and bench one of them. Ashley Rambanepasi and Tinashe Nengomasha are equally gritty players who can play the holding role, but their ability to also play further up and support the strikers is way better than both Esrom and Majabvi. Rambanepasi has been doing that to massive effect for Dynamos all season this year. An option would have been to play Matawu behind the strikers, and even throw Sadomba on that right wing from the word go. We just needed to start by running at those Sharks like we later did in the second half, but we were rather too cautious.
Credit to the bench, the approach was a bit different in the second half. We forced 2 to 3 corners in a space of a few minutes, and panic pangs started to attack the Islnders’ defence, but then again, we couldn’t kill them. For a moment we thought someone on the bench had balls when they pulled out Matawu for Mushekwi and Benjani for Sadomba, but we wondered if we had thrown in the towel when Vusa Nyoni then came in for Musona. Fine, the young man missed a number of chances, but with 5 minutes to go and you are looking for a last gasp winner who would you rather have on the pitch, Musona or Nyoni? That was the epitome of the lack of will to win the entire team showed. It was time to go for broke. Cape Verde had long shown that unless we really beg them, they were not interested in trying things at Washington Arubi’s goal, except at that one moment when their striker blasted over the bar. Yes Nyoni was welcome, but for someone else, like Majabvi or even Nyandoro. You want those who are carrying the confidence from their club games, those that have hit the back of the net a few games back, those with proverbial stroke of luck, to be close to where the ball drops at such instances. That, our coaches missed.
So, its back to the drawing board for the Warriors. Painful it is. It’s more painful because we did not loose 2 points to a better side. We can’t even tell how good the Islanders are because they simply did not play. They came to wait for us to throw things at them, and that hardly happened. We lost 2 points not because we had a bad side, but just that amongst our players, no one really stood up to be counted. At this rate, we might have to suspend the use of the beloved nickname until the real spear wielding and blood thirsty Warriors stand up!
Your comments please?
Friday, October 8, 2010
Bans, resignations, deportations dominate news in African Cup of Nations qualifying
By Gerald Imray (CP) – 1 day ago
JOHANNESBURG — Just three months after the continent's first World Cup was hailed as a great success and proof that African soccer had its house in order, the buildup to this weekend's second round of qualifying matches for the 2012 African Cup of Nations is dominated by off-field controversies.
Nigeria has been suspended from international football, Zimbabwe is deporting its new coach and Togo will play its first game since a fake team represented the country in an international match, leading to the arrest of football federation officials. In Zambia, a string of resignations from its football body has prompted a government investigation.
"It's a sad one for the players," said Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo following FIFA's statement that the country's federation had been suspended because of government interference. "We just hope everyone can simply come together and resolve this crisis once and for all for the progress of the country."
Nigeria's participation in Sunday's Group B match in Guinea is unlikely. Nigerian teams, national and club, are not allowed to compete until the federation's elected executive committee "is able to work without any interference," said FIFA, suggesting there was no quick fix.
Africa's football confederation, CAF, has offered no explanation of the two-time African champion's future in the competition should the country miss the match in Conakry. Nigeria won its first qualifier against Madagascar 2-0.
Zimbabwe heads into its Group A home game against Cape Verde without newly appointed Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who has been ordered out of the country for working without a permit. He was given his deportation orders at a training session in Harare on Tuesday.
Cape Verde tops the group after a shock 1-0 win over Mali, which hosts Liberia in the group's other fixture.
Zambia recorded a resounding 4-0 win over Comoros in its opening qualifier to top Group C, but that has been overshadowed by the fate of its football association, which is the subject of a sports ministry investigation after four officials walked out. Any evidence of government interference, which is forbidden by FIFA, could prompt a Nigeria-like sanction. Zambia plays away in Libya on Friday, Comoros is at home to Mozambique.
Togo was belatedly allowed to take part in qualifiers following the overturning of a CAF ban.
Now part of a five-team Group K, the Sparrow Hawks face a tough test at home to Tunisia Friday, their first game since the infamous fake team scandal, where a group of unknown players pretending to be Togo's national team played against Bahrain. Togo's interim football federation chairman, Seyi Memene, has now resigned after FIFA turned down his request to push back elections for a new board.
Togo has just two points from three games and is eight points behind runaway group leader Botswana, which has a bye.
South Africa may be relieved that its biggest problems are injuries to English-based players Steven Pienaar and captain Aaron Mokoena ahead of a trip to Sierra Leone in Group G. Everton midfielder Pienaar has been withdrawn from the squad with a groin injury, and Portsmouth's Mokoena sat out training this week in a bid to recover full fitness from his own groin strain. South Africa lost 1-0 to Sierra Leone in Freetown in 2008, a result which contributed to it failing to qualify for the 2010 African Cup.
"We are determined to give a much better account and get a result this time," Mokoena said.
Bafana Bafana began with a 2-0 win over Niger to top Group G over defending African champion Egypt, which was held 1-1 at home by Sierra Leone in its first match. The Pharaohs will look to get back on track in Niger on Sunday.
Former captain Stephen Appiah takes charge for his first match as stand-in coach when Ghana faces Sudan at home on Sunday. Milovan Rajevac, who led the Black Stars to the World Cup quarterfinals, resigned days after Ghana's opening 3-0 win in Swaziland.
Ghana is missing Chelsea's Michael Essien, who has taken a break from international football, and injured AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng. Appiah also made the surprise choice to leave Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari and forward Matthew Amoah out of his squad.
Sudan impressed as it beat Congo 2-0 in its opening qualifier.
"It is normal for people to say that we're favourites judging by our performance at the World Cup," Appiah said. "But in modern football there are no small teams."
Elsewhere, Morocco travels to Tanzania and Algeria plays Central Africa in Group D, with all four teams locked on one point after opening round draws. In Group E, Cameroon hosts DR Congo and Senegal plays Mauritius.
Uganda travels to Kenya after kicking off its campaign with a surprise 3-0 win over Angola to lead Group J.
Striker Didier Drogba is again not included in Ivory Coast's squad for Saturday's Group H match in Burundi. Drogba was also left out of the Elephants' 3-0 win over Rwanda last month by coach Francois Zahoui, who is believed to be managing the game time of his leading player after Drogba had groin and elbow surgery earlier this year.
The top two teams in Group K, and the group winners and two best second-placed teams from the other 10 groups will qualify for the 16-country finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
JOHANNESBURG — Just three months after the continent's first World Cup was hailed as a great success and proof that African soccer had its house in order, the buildup to this weekend's second round of qualifying matches for the 2012 African Cup of Nations is dominated by off-field controversies.
Nigeria has been suspended from international football, Zimbabwe is deporting its new coach and Togo will play its first game since a fake team represented the country in an international match, leading to the arrest of football federation officials. In Zambia, a string of resignations from its football body has prompted a government investigation.
"It's a sad one for the players," said Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo following FIFA's statement that the country's federation had been suspended because of government interference. "We just hope everyone can simply come together and resolve this crisis once and for all for the progress of the country."
Nigeria's participation in Sunday's Group B match in Guinea is unlikely. Nigerian teams, national and club, are not allowed to compete until the federation's elected executive committee "is able to work without any interference," said FIFA, suggesting there was no quick fix.
Africa's football confederation, CAF, has offered no explanation of the two-time African champion's future in the competition should the country miss the match in Conakry. Nigeria won its first qualifier against Madagascar 2-0.
Zimbabwe heads into its Group A home game against Cape Verde without newly appointed Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who has been ordered out of the country for working without a permit. He was given his deportation orders at a training session in Harare on Tuesday.
Cape Verde tops the group after a shock 1-0 win over Mali, which hosts Liberia in the group's other fixture.
Zambia recorded a resounding 4-0 win over Comoros in its opening qualifier to top Group C, but that has been overshadowed by the fate of its football association, which is the subject of a sports ministry investigation after four officials walked out. Any evidence of government interference, which is forbidden by FIFA, could prompt a Nigeria-like sanction. Zambia plays away in Libya on Friday, Comoros is at home to Mozambique.
Togo was belatedly allowed to take part in qualifiers following the overturning of a CAF ban.
Now part of a five-team Group K, the Sparrow Hawks face a tough test at home to Tunisia Friday, their first game since the infamous fake team scandal, where a group of unknown players pretending to be Togo's national team played against Bahrain. Togo's interim football federation chairman, Seyi Memene, has now resigned after FIFA turned down his request to push back elections for a new board.
Togo has just two points from three games and is eight points behind runaway group leader Botswana, which has a bye.
South Africa may be relieved that its biggest problems are injuries to English-based players Steven Pienaar and captain Aaron Mokoena ahead of a trip to Sierra Leone in Group G. Everton midfielder Pienaar has been withdrawn from the squad with a groin injury, and Portsmouth's Mokoena sat out training this week in a bid to recover full fitness from his own groin strain. South Africa lost 1-0 to Sierra Leone in Freetown in 2008, a result which contributed to it failing to qualify for the 2010 African Cup.
"We are determined to give a much better account and get a result this time," Mokoena said.
Bafana Bafana began with a 2-0 win over Niger to top Group G over defending African champion Egypt, which was held 1-1 at home by Sierra Leone in its first match. The Pharaohs will look to get back on track in Niger on Sunday.
Former captain Stephen Appiah takes charge for his first match as stand-in coach when Ghana faces Sudan at home on Sunday. Milovan Rajevac, who led the Black Stars to the World Cup quarterfinals, resigned days after Ghana's opening 3-0 win in Swaziland.
Ghana is missing Chelsea's Michael Essien, who has taken a break from international football, and injured AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng. Appiah also made the surprise choice to leave Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari and forward Matthew Amoah out of his squad.
Sudan impressed as it beat Congo 2-0 in its opening qualifier.
"It is normal for people to say that we're favourites judging by our performance at the World Cup," Appiah said. "But in modern football there are no small teams."
Elsewhere, Morocco travels to Tanzania and Algeria plays Central Africa in Group D, with all four teams locked on one point after opening round draws. In Group E, Cameroon hosts DR Congo and Senegal plays Mauritius.
Uganda travels to Kenya after kicking off its campaign with a surprise 3-0 win over Angola to lead Group J.
Striker Didier Drogba is again not included in Ivory Coast's squad for Saturday's Group H match in Burundi. Drogba was also left out of the Elephants' 3-0 win over Rwanda last month by coach Francois Zahoui, who is believed to be managing the game time of his leading player after Drogba had groin and elbow surgery earlier this year.
The top two teams in Group K, and the group winners and two best second-placed teams from the other 10 groups will qualify for the 16-country finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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