Play the Game: CAF elections show a need for improved governance in African football

Play the Game: CAF elections show a need for improved governance in African football

Of Super Simba and Super Diski!

The recent form of Dynamos Striker Simba Sithole dragged us once again into the "Is Super Diski Good for Zim Football" debate. With what Simba has done over the past few weeks, we wondered “Is this the guys who signed a 5 year contract for the ABSA Premiership’s basement club, spent more than a year helping others to train only to be sent packing without kicking a ball in any official match just over a year into the contract? Is this the guy not good enough to play for a Mamelodi Sundowns team that in 10 league matches, has scored only 5 goals, won once, lost six times and anchors the ABSA PSL log? The same team whose official website has a poll in which 68% of the respondents (supposedly the majority being fans) think it will end the season at the bottom? It’s the same guy who is now knocking the door at being the leading light at the country’s most inform team, Dynamos!


Football, an interesting sport isn’t it?

For the uninitiated, let’s rewind a bit.

Simba Sithole left Zimbabwe in 2011, red hot and clearly the hottest property on the local football scene at that time, to join super rich South African side Mamelodi Sundowns. He had banged 10 goals for Caps United in 10 games, lighting the local Premiership. Ask Roderick Mutuma (eventually won the golden boot that season), it took him a mighty long time to catch up with him, long after he had assumed his new role as a ball boy at the Brazillians’ training ground in Pretoria. And the fact that Mutuma ended up with only 14 goals for the entire season, only 4 better than Simba who had played less than half the number of games speaks volumes.

Unknown to many of us, Simba was actually going to disappear from the football radar with this (what now looks like an ill-advised) move down-south. The young man failed to break into the Brazilians’ first team, which also had countrymen and direct replacement at Caps United, Nyasha Mushekwi in their ranks. He could not even eke a substitute appearance. He remained forgotten and endured a torrid 12 months of no football. The inevitable happened; Sundowns decided to cancel his contract and the young man had to find another employer. He reportedly tried his luck Pretoria University but failed.

To his credit, the 21 year old bit the bullet and decided to come back home. He however did the unlikely by joining Caps bitter rivals, Dynamos, replacing another Zimbabwean who had joined the great trek down south, Takesure Chinyama. In his first games, Simba clearly showed a lack of match fitness, testimony to his lack of action down south. The coaches at Dynamos where however patient with him, and now he is beginning to get close to his form of April 2011.

The Zimbabwe Under 23 goal poacher has finally lit up the stage for DeMbare. Crucially, he got goals in duels with bitter rivals Highlanders in a 1 – 1 league draw and of late in a 3 – 0 defeat of former club Caps United in a Mbada Diamonds semi-final match. Nothing endears a DeMbare player to Vazori veButter more! This is just so timely for the DeMbare faithfuls, right in the middle of chasing a rare retention of the double - the Mbada Diamonds Cup in which they have made it into the final and the league, which they currently lead by 2 points over rivals Highlanders.

By contrast, things are not so rosy at Simba’s former base, Chloorkop. Morale is at an all-time low as the team Sithole failed to break into languishes at the bottom of the ABSA Premiership with 6 points from 10 games. Since the beginning of the SA season, round about the time Sithole joined Dynamos, those who are too good to play alongside him have scored a combined total of 5 goals in the league; the exact number Sithole alone has delivered to his new side over the same time. None of them has been able to score twice thus far! Surely we ought to ask, is Simba good enough to be the toast of DeMbare yet not good enough for the bottom placed in the South African Premiership? Who really believes this?

This question deserves more attention as we hear of another South African Premiership side, Bloemfontein Celtics’ interest in the player. We don’t mind our Zim players going down south to make a Rand or two, but are they not just making a mockery of themselves being made to appear as good for nothings sweating it in training, without being given a fair chance on match day? We know our players deserve a better platform to display their skills than perhaps what the ZimPSL is currently offering, but at what price must they go? Are we not shooting ourselves in the foot? We don’t even want to start imagining how much Simba could have improved had he stayed at Kepekepe for the entire last season, for its now clear that his absence in the goal scorers charts for the last 12 months has not been out of inability. The boy is good!

Look, stories of players changing clubs, firing blanks and then deciding to go back to their clubs or joining a third one are awash in world football. We all know of the Peter Crouches, Fernando Torreses and Andy Carrolls of this world. Even our own Benjani has a story to tell. But one thing that is common about all these players is the extent their managers went to to give them game time before deciding to let them go. Who is convinced Simba was given a fair chance to prove himself at Sundowns? Hold on, don’t even sweat on a guess. We are not!

The only plausible reason that could explain Simba’s failure if at all he was given a fair chance is that competition at Sundowns is higher, and by implication they have better quality material than currently obtaining at DeMbare. Can this be true? Can we by implication (given Downs’ current position in the ABSA PSL) assume that Zimbabwe’s PSL log leaders would right now be candidates for relegation if they were playing in the South African Premiership? Would that current Sundowns team beat the trailblazing DeMbare tomorrow? We know fully well some might accuse us of generalising issues here, but come on! We know better!

With what Simba has shown at Caps United and Dynamos, as well as the Young Warriors, we must be convinced this boy is good. We only hope and pray that he is not hurried again this time around to trek down south. His talent looks like made for a better league that Super Diski.

Newcomers Carry DeMbare

After defeating Harare City 1 – 0 at Rufaro Stadium yesterday, coupled with a favourable goalless draw between rivals Highlanders and Chicken Inn, Dynamos Football Club will now feel firmly in control of the destiny of the Castle Lager Premiership Championship, and fancy themselves to retain the crown. However, so different are the drivers of the DeMbare train this season from those of 2011 that they may be forgiven for not feeling like THE Defending champions. Aside from Denver Mukamba and to a certain extent Captain Guthrie Zhokinyu, the movers and shakers at DeMbare this season are players who either graduated from the junior ranks or totally new recruits who joined the team this season. While last season was the toast of the likes of eventual league top scorer Roderick Mutuma, then Captain Cuthbert Malajila, his predecessor George Magariro, 2011 Soccer Star of the Year Washington Arubi and veteran Murape Murape, there has been a completely new set of master strokers this season, to support the exploits of Mukamba, the only constant. While Malajila and Arubi understandably left the club for SA, and perhaps on current form would still walk into the current DeMbare first 11, one wonders what hit the likes of Mutuma and Magariro.


We make a brief analysis of how the new boys have made a mark to DeMbare latest campaign to be kings of local football:

Takesure Chinyama

While the likes of Caps United and FC Platinum where making big moves in the transfer market, DeMbare where judging by their size, rather quiet. However, the capture of Chinyama was by far one of the highest profile recruits in the PSL at the beginning of the season. The 2009/10 Polish Premier League top scorer lived up to his billing, firing warning shots in preseason friendlies and announcing his arrival with a goal in the season opening Charity shield match vs Motor Action. He quickly established himself as the leading light at DeMbare and with goals at both the domestic and African Champions League front. He grabbed two crucial goals in a 2 -2 away draw against Liga Maculmana of Mozambique following a hat trick on the opening day of the season against newcomers Hardbody. Despite his injury problems and leaving DeMbare before the halfway point of the season for SA’s Orlando Pirates, Chinyama’s is still on the league’s 3rd top goal scorers with 9 goals.

Farai Mupasiri

Chinyama’s departure for SA, which coincided with the exit of goalkeeper Washington Arubi well was seen by many as a fatal blow to DeMbare’s title ambitions, given that Chinyama was by then the only reliable goal getter in DeMbare’s ranks. Little did many know that young Farai Mupasiri was readying himself to fit the shoes of the gingantic forward. Coach Kalisto Pasuwa chose a soft landing for his new found gem, introducing him in a rather easy game against struggling Blue Rangers, and the youngster, together with Tichaona Mabvura, starred in a 6 – 0 demolition. Mupasiri scored as early as 2 minutes into his debut. Many still did not read much into the youngster’s performance, given the nature of opposition. He then chose one of the toughest fixtures on the local scene to register his pedigree, grabbing the winner in a 2 -1 win at Mandava against FC Platinum. He followed this up with another star performance and goal in the Harare derby against Caps United. Mupasiri had taken over!

Partson Jaure

Like Mupasiri, Jaure is a product of the DeMbare Junior development program. He was loaned to first division side La Liga last season and came back a ready-made veteran. While he might have benefitted from the absence of Zhokinyu at the start of the season, the fact the coaching staff chose to dislodge one of Dynamos’ outstanding players last season George Magariro, to let the young man partner Zhokinyu at the heart of the defence is no mean feat for Yellow. His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, earning himself a call up to the Warriors within his first season of premiership football.




George Chigova

With someone like Washington Arubi in the same team, not many top class goalkeepers can wait around for their breakthroughs. Perhaps Chigova felt the Arubi’s deep yearning for a move down south that he stayed in the shadows, and when the opportunity came, he grabbed it with both hands. Like Chinyama’s departure, Arubi’s exit was declared by many to be a crisis in waiting for DeMbare, but Chigova has proved it all wrong. His entrance onto the stage was also grand, saving a penalty from Highlanders’ Mthulisi Maphosa at Babourfields in his first full game for DeMbare. Every Dynamos glove-man would wish for such a herculean act. In the last 7 games he has featured for Dynamos, he has only let in 3 goals, contributing heavily to the side’s impressive defensive record.


Ocean Mushure

 Had it not been for the scorcher of a goal he scored against Harare City, we could have easily overlooked Mushure from this list. But a closer analysis will tell you that the ex-Motor Action left back has been a sea of calm and brought a measure of stability to the left side of the DeMbare rear-guard, which looked suspect at times as Augustine Mbara failed to stamp his authority last season. Mushure has been very reliable and has been useful with his free kicks and crosses. He has finally underlined his usefulness with what could possibly be a crucial goal at the end of the season, especially taking into account the results from B/F on the same day.



DeMbare recently signed on young Simba Sithole, formerly of Shooting Stars, Caps United and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. Will the seeming “newboy”s luck also help him make an instant impression in the blue and white? He arrives at a crucial time, when the home run is clearly laid out. There is little doubt in Sithole’s pedigree, never mind his failure to break into Sundowns team. Due to its huge following, settling at Dynamos has been a mountain climb to many a newcomer. One would remember the likes of Francis Chandida, Tawanda Nyamandwe, Maxwell Dube amongst others, who arrived at DeMbare as polished gems, but never actually shone as expected in the blue and white. One wonders if the 2012 newcomers have found what it takes to succeed in your first season at DeMbare.

DeMbare - A 50 Year Old Worthless Football Brand???

Today back page headlines make sordid reading for any passionate supporter of the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League giants, Dynamos. It sort of gave the most sombre start to a day that ended in horror as DeMbare found themselves being unlikely losers to new PSL boys Harare City, at their ceremonial home of football, Rufaro Stadium. Considering that Dynamos by far commands the largest football following in the country, it sounds proper to simply conclude that the day was not a good one for the majority of Zimbabwean soccer lovers.


Many papers today (20th of June, 2012) led their sport pages with the story of how Dynamos allegedly lost hundreds of thousands of United States Dollars to a local sportswear retail firm, Betta Balls. It is reported that DeMbare contracted a local sports promotion firm, S Chiware and Associates to find ways of raising revenue around the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary due next year. S Chiware then contracted Betta Balls to sell merchandise to the multitudes of DeMbare fans dotted across the country and in the diaspora. It is now alleged that despite a revenue sharing agreement between Betta Ball and S Chiware, which subsequently was supposed to also benefit Dynamos through their engagement with S Chiware, Betta Ball has pocketed the lion’s share if not all proceeds of merchandise sold so far, leaving DeMbare in their never-ending financial quandary. We are not surprised; this is simply another case of clever business people benefitting from the strong brand called Dynamos Football Club.

It becomes yet another case of a good idea gone bad. DeMbare fans who might have bought this memorabilia would feel hard done, if indeed the allegations that the club is not benefitting from the sales are true. Some may however just dismiss this case as business as usual, especially if one considers the alleged level of financial mishandling at DeMbare, and the number of similar initiatives that yielded no benefit for the Harare giants. Anyone remember the Chazunguza Team Bus initiative? How about the plethora of fake replica jerseys that sell for a song at the DeMbare games almost every Sunday. While one may want to blame the piraters and others that have milked the DeMbare brand, one will have little sympathy for the management of the club for their lack of initiative and failure to understand the value that is in the DeMbare brand.

Zimsoccerfans has had sight of the so-called jerseys in the stated retail shop. Well, even the most loyal of DeMbare fans will agree with us that the merchandise makes a mockery of the institution that Dynamos is. Our first reaction to the story was why in the world didn’t Dynamos do this deal with Nike or Adidas? Surely if one understands what DeMbare is, and how significant the 50th anniversary is, you would easily see that any sports merchandiser worth his salt will realise that this is a big deal.

The world over, clubs have reaped millions of dollars from commemorating milestones such as these. English club Arsenal are famous for twicking their club shirts to commemorate one or two things. In the 2005/6 season, just to mark the fact that it was going to be their last season at Highbury, their former home ground, Arsenal resorted to wearing a special red currant home kit and guess who was at the forefront of marketing the shirts, sportswear giants Nike.

Closer to home and more recently, SA side Orlando Pirates were marking their 75th year anniversary in the just ended season and launched a special kit to commemorate their founding uniform, and again, guess who was busy doing the marketing, Adidas, the kit manufacturer. So in the DeMbare maze, who really is S Chiware? Don’t be fooled that DeMbare does not have the sway to attract the attention of Nike or Adidas. They have, if only they were organised and believe a little bit in their power.

Ok, maybe someone may argue to say DeMbare wanted to keep this one an indigenous affair, but maybe they should have gotten down to doing something professional with local sportswear manufacturer Faithwear. Faithwear has done a very decent job with the national cricket team, simply because there is a semblance of professionalism in how cricket affairs are managed in this country. DeMbare is perhaps Zimbabwe’s biggest brand, but without proper management, is just as good as nothing and will continue to get the disrespect it is alleged to be getting from some of these “milkers”.

Branding is a marketing term, but there is no better way to understand the power of brands than to observe football supporters passionately following their teams. What football fans may do in support of their clubs may never be fully explained. Football surpasses religion in terms of following. This makes fans the most captive and cost effective markets that businesses can use to drive demand for their products. Loyalty to one’s football team can easily transform to loyalty to a consumer product.

While reasons for supporting a club vary from family influence, past success, origin of the team among other reasons, Dynamos is easily the country’s biggest club by following and in terms of success on the field, combining a number of reasons to have such a huge following. However, successive managements at the club have dismally failed to create value out of the brand. DeMbare is the only local side to have reached the finals of the CAF Champions League and are highly rated by the continental football body. This has seen DeMbare avoiding playing in preliminary rounds of the continents’ biggest club competition, mostly because of their consistent participation in the tournament. This has however failed to be transformed into any meaningful financial benefit.

The multitudes of its followers claim to number 7 million, which if it were true would be half of the country’s unofficial total population, pegged at 14 million. This would also mean that one in every one thousand people in the world supports the Boys in Blue! Astounding isn’t it? While these figures may be unofficial, they cannot be far from the truth. Dynamos does have a lot of supporters, let alone sympathisers in Zimbabwe and its diaspora. The way simple dances like “Zora Butter” can suddenly become famous overnight by being synonymous with the football club underlines the attractive power and potential for success DeMbare has. A journalist going by the name DeMbare Dotcoms on the social media site Facebook has by far the largest Zimbabwean following. That is the aura that follows DeMbare. Perhaps the famous barroom challenge cast to many DeMbare fans by their protagonists that each of them must simply contribute a dollar to make Dynamos a million dollar club testifies how much the leadership at the club misses the point. One fact though is, all things being equal, it is not impossible for Dynamos to use the loyalty it enjoys to raise Seven Million US Dollars. It can be done, almost in an instant!!! The problem is just that there is not enough transparency in the running of the club to allow for such an investment by its most loyal supporters. Only that the founding fathers would rather have full control of a broke, financially reeling club than be diluted in a thriving institution.

How the many successive Dynamos Executives, some made up of the country’s shrewd business people have failed to derive value out of the famous club boggles the mind. Perhaps the S Chiware/Betta Ball saga gives the easiest indication of what is wrong at Dynamos. Chief among the many possible reasons why DeMbare and those aligned to it have remained poor in a billion dollar football industry is the reluctance by the founder members to let the club go and be run by professionals who can get the best value out of the club. The stranglehold that they have on the club leave only a few brave sponsors to risk putting their money into the DeMbare project. The unprofessional manner in which affairs are conducted by the founding fathers and other Powers that be at DeMbare will never see any serious sensitive marketer aligning themselves with the brand. Instead of headlining because of its brand of football and rich history, Dynamos is more famed for its infighting, leading to some local football circles labelling it the Pakistan of Zimbabwean football.

The footballing landscape of today is miles ahead of the 1963 era when Chiminya and co formed DeMbare. To see the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates from across the Limpompo achieve as much financial success as they have done, while DeMbare remains in the doldrums makes a mockery of the entrepreneurial brains we have in this country. Fine, South Africa might offer better economic opportunities across the spectrum but the gap is just too much. DeMbare does not even have an imitation of Naturena, the Kaizer Chiefs training facility admired by one of the greatest coaches in world football, Sir Alex Ferguson, whose  Manchester United side even has sponsors for their training kits, DHL. Many will always point to the late 90s era when some local businessmen ran DeMbare for a few successful years, overseeing the team’s first participation in the CAF Champions League final as a glimpse of what is possible with the Mbare based outfit. Needless to say, that forward looking executive was booted by the founding fathers, chiefly because of their ideas of making DeMbare more public and allowing more investors to put their money where their joy is.

It has really been dumbfounding how Dynamos have failed to turn themselves into a rich club. DeMbare has such a national and regional appeal sponsors would have been tripping over each other to be associated with the brand. Strong football brands are created by rich traditions (generations of families supporting the same team), association with towns of origin, star players in their teams, success on the field among many other reasons. A lot of these factors make Dynamos a darling of many Zimbabwean football supporters. From its rich history of being founded in the dusty streets of the largest settlement of black workers under minority rule, becoming a symbol of resistance against an oppressive system, to success on the field and having amongst its ranks some of the country’s most decorated footballers like George Shaya and Moses Chunga, one cannot be surprised how Zimbabweans of all ages and economic class easily endear themselves with the Mbare outfit. Even politicians have been accused of taking advantage of the platform created by this team for some mileage.

Only a few weeks ago, an article appeared in one of the local papers quoting Harare Mayor Muchadei Masunda stating that his council has courted DeMbare for a possible long term lease of Rufaro Stadium. Every football loving person would get excited at the prospects of having the ceremonial home of football in the hands of the blue and white outfit. Just imagine what that would mean to its fans and players. Rufaro is the cauldron of every DeMbare fan’s dreams. Vietnam Stand is their home away from home and many of them would spend their lifetime savings to have a permanent seat on the concrete-made seats of that stadium. Who amongst their fans would not get their heart palpitating at the prospects of painting the Rufaro durawall blue and white and erecting a huge billboard emblazoned “Rufaro Stadium, home of Dynamos Football Club” along the highway to the famous market. In case you doubt the possibility of this, check the City’s Golf Clubs, and note that they are all under lease from the City Council.


But who is benefitting from this loyalty that DeMbare fans have of their team’s favourite hunting ground? It’s the City of Harare, of course. For maintaining the facility, the City has the liberty to charge DeMbare astronomically for each and every one of their home games, played at the artificial turf. Yet DeMbare could easily turn this around if they take the City of Harare up on their offer for a notarised long term lease of the facility. With such a lease in place, DeMbare would have control of the in-stadium advertising revenues and it will become easy to sell season tickets. With a few renovations, the club could erect corporate boxes and sub-let them to those willing to be associated with the brand. Most of all, the facility would give the fans of DeMbare the much needed sense of belonging to Rufaro which they have forcibly enthused themselves with. It’s ironic that on the date of writing this, DeMbare was playing and lost 1 -0 to newly promoted Harare City at Rufaro. Harare City can by virtue of them being a City of Harare owned side claim to be the rightful owners of Rufaro Stadium, yet they cannot even attract 1% of the fans DeMbare can woo to the famous venue.

There has been talk of Dynamos having its own stadium but that is really not necessary. The investment required would unnecessarily lock value into an area that the club has no interests in. The world famous Anfield used by Liverpool Football Club is under lease from the City of Liverpool, yet the Kop feels as much at home as they would, had their club owned the facility. DeMbare does not need to invest in so much to reap from its rich history and the sensation that follows its name.

One cannot even begin to fully comprehend the extent of value that management at Dynamos is failing to extract out of the institution. FutureBrand, a UK based firm famed for valuing all the football brands in the world uses three different approaches to valuing a football club’s brand, cost, income and market based valuation. The cost method simply asks how much it would cost today to build the same brand as that of DeMbare. This is astounding to even think of. To put it into perspective, ask yourself how much it would take to create a club with the same following as that of the Glamour Boys in Zimbabwe? Ask Eric Rosen, Twine Phiri or even Mimosa Mines. Don’t be surprised to get an answer like “impossible”.

From an income perspective, one would ask how much potential income the DeMbare brand could earn over a given number of years, say five years. Dynamos could potentially get income from ticket and merchandise sales, TV rights, player sales, etc. On any day, one can be guaranteed that Dynamos will play in the CAF Champions League, or at worst CAF Confederations Cup year in year out! Now think of the moneys that come with playing in the mini-league phase of the Champions League, yet barring a few mishaps like that of 2012, it is a no brainer that DeMbare easily reaches that stage of the competition. We haven’t even spoken about the multitudes that come through to watch DeMbare matches, anywhere in the country, let alone Rufaro. Nor have we considered that with their own home ground, DeMbare can save millions of US Dollars from gate taking levies.

It is also almost every up and coming player’s dream to don the blue and white of DeMbare. Even those that may not have the liking of DeMbare revel at the prospects of being seen by international scouts and national team coaches, the moment their name starts appearing on the Dynamos team sheet. What that implies is Dynamos is easily the most suitable platform through which Zimbabwe’s talent can be marketed to the international footballing community. This could also easily result in thousands of American Dollars trickling into the dry DeMbare coffers. Present day Dynamos has helped to market multitudes of Zimbabwean talent abroad but in most cases for no benefit to the club as most of these players would be on loan to DeMbare. Also due to poor organisation, the team clearly does not have as organised a player marketing system such as that at rivals Caps United, or the networks in the player transfers market the likes of Wieslaw Grabowski used to have. Just how much DeMbare lost out on possible player transfers is unimaginable. DeMbare can easily become the ASEC Mimosas of Zimbabwe, in terms of player transfers. What is required to make this a reality is good management, and that has eluded Zimbabwe’s most successful club like mangoes in winter. Wither DeMbare!!!

Giants Take Top Spot… Are the Good Old Times Rolling Back for Bosso?

We can hardly remember the last time we had this scenario in Zimbabwean football - Highlanders and Dynamos, arguably the country’s two largest teams by support base, taking the top two spots on the local Premiership log. With De-Mbare earning a point in a match against Shabanie Mine at Maglas stadium in Zvishavane yesterday, the country’s biggest football rivals find themselves occupying the top two positions on the log, ahead of their rescheduled match, reported to be set for May 25, Africa day. Bosso head the league with De-Mbare second, three points adrift. This is despite the fact that because of the postponed match, the two sides have played 1 less game than all of the other 14 league teams, perhaps underlining the gaff between them and the rest of the league.


The Highlanders-Dynamos match had been pencilled in for week 5, but was postponed as the latter was involved in continental duty, where they were humiliated 6 – 0 by African Club Champions, Esperance of Tunisia.

While Dynamos are the defending League Champions, it is the manner in which their erstwhile rivals have started the 2012 edition of the premiership season that has gotten many wondering if the good old days of Bossolona are back. Highlanders last won the league in 2006, before handing it over to Dynamos in 2007. DeMbare had to endure a four year wait before taking the title again last season, and one wonders if it’s their turn to hand the cup to Bosso this time around. Every Highlanders fan will salivate at the opportunity of dethroning DeMbare, and many can hardly wait for the epic clash at Emagumeni. It will be the perfect opportunity for Bosso to lay their credentials to the many doubting Thomases who are still not convinced, despite the side getting the better of Platinum Stars at its fortress in Zvishavane. By their performance last season, Platinum looked set to take over as the latest challengers to DeMbare’s long drawn dominance of local football, but the manner in which the youthful Bosso outfit shredded them to pieces clearly showed the Bulawayo’s pedigree, if they can maintain the form to the end of the season.

While Dynamos were busy on continental assignments, Highlanders have been sending strong signals with master class performances which have seen them bang 19 goals and remain the only unbeaten team in the league, after 6 matches. Bosso have so far only dropped two points, in a 1-1 draw with Mutare based army side Buffaloes, while DeMbare have already tasted defeat, suffering a 1 – 0 home loss to Monomotapa. That Bosso are struggling financially and had the most turbulent off season actually makes a mockery of the form the players have displayed on the field. This leaves us wondering if the old horse has come back to reclaim its stake as one of the most popular soccer outfits in the country? Only time will tell.

Liberia to "Throw" Mali Game???

The Daily Observer Sports has gathered “classified reports” from a group calling itself Concerned Citizens for the Promotion and Development of Football (CCPDEF) that the Mali’s decisive final qualifying match with Liberia next month is on the verge to be sold.

The group’s spokesperson, who begged anonymity told our reporter, that they obtained the “classified information” from an inside source.

According to CCPDEF Spokesperson, the Malian delegation had been in the country since two weeks under the disguise of visiting their Muslim counterparts on the holding of a successful Ramadan, which ended on Tuesday, August 30, 2011.

The group stressed that mathematically, Liberia’s last game with Mali at home on Saturday, October 8, 2011, is a ‘mere yarn,” owing to her poor position on the table of the Group One’s African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

They said the group topper, Mali, who is hanging with nine points, because of Zimbabwe closeness on the log, with eight points, desperately needs a win against Liberia to grab the lone seat.

“A victory for Mali will qualify her with 12 points, while Liberia remains the underdog with 4 points and received an undisclosed amount of money.

“We therefore, want to use this medium to advise the Musa Bility’s leadership not to sell our birthright for peanut, or else, Liberia will be too small for him,” the group spokesperson warned.

Accurately, a draw or lost for Mali against Liberia, will qualify Zimbabwe, with 11 points, if she thrashes Cape Verde in their decisive final qualifying match away in Praia, Cape Verde.

But, if Zimbabwe bows, Cape Verde is online of grabbing the lone seat, if she wins with at least 3 goals difference.

The pending game between Liberia and Mali will be the second leg game. It can be recalled on Saturday, October 9, 2010, Mali got their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group A campaign back on track with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Liberia.

After a shock 1-0 away loss in the Cape Verde Islands last time out, the Malians desperately needed a win to keep their hopes of winning a place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon alive.

They made the perfect start as Abdou Traore gave them the lead inside two minutes, enough to settle the nerves that would have been prevalent in the side.

But Liberia never stopped trying and they pulled level just before the break as 20-year-old Theo Lewis Weeks netted to stun the home crowd.

Mali was ahead again soon after the break as Russian-based Dramane Traore scored in the 52nd minutes.

The game flowed from side to side, but in the end there were no more goals, and Mali could savor a precious victory.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, September 5, 2011, in Harare the Lone Star of Liberia was thrown-out from the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, when she was convincingly beaten by the Warriors of Zimbabwe.

The Roberto Landi’s boys were convincingly whipped 3-0.
Up to press time, the football house is yet to be reached for respond, when our reporter tried to contact the Secretariat of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) and the offices of the Director of Communication via mobile phones.

Munya Mbanje lights up Leeds

Munya Mbanje lights up Leeds:

'via Blog this'

Super Diski Better Than Country PSL

Super Diski Better Than Country PSL

FIFA's zero tolerance? More like zero scruples

When history books are written, this should go down as the week when FIFA's last scraps of dignity and credibility withered and died.


Because this was the week that world football's governing body exposed itself: It professes to "zero tolerance" of corruption but, from its actions this week, "zero scruples" appears closer to the truth.


This May, football officials called to a meeting in the Caribbean were offered brown envelopes stuffed with $40,000 in $100 notes and told not to breathe a word. We know this because some but not all of the officials later blew the whistle.


FIFA investigated. Its conclusions, leaked this week, were that the payments seem to have been bribes and that two of its most senior and influential executives - FIFA vice president Jack Warner and Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam - were apparently neck-deep in the dirt.


Evidence, FIFA said, was "comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming." Bin Hammam wanted Sepp Blatter's job as FIFA president. For that, he needed football officials' votes. From FIFA's report, it appears he was ready to pay for them.


Warner, one of football's most powerful men, allegedly used his clout and contacts to act as bin Hammam's facilitator. FIFA's report accused him of arranging the May 10-11 meeting at a hotel on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and of condoning the payoffs.


If FIFA put football's interests first, Warner should have been hung out to dry as an example to others, packed off in disgrace, good riddance.


FIFA's report even suggested as much.


"Corruption affects the very core of sports and is to be considered as nothing less than life-threatening for sports and sports organisations. Thus, if there is considerable suspicion that offenses related to corruption might have been committed, immediate action is imperative," it said.


"FIFA has a direct and pressing interest in barring the persons concerned from sports immediately and effectively," it added. "In this regard, FIFA and the FIFA Ethics Committee adhere to a zero tolerance approach."


You can almost hear Warner laughing. He got a free pass. He walked away, resigning this week from football duties and taking with him his secrets from 28 years inside the most discredited governing body in sports. Whatever knowledge Warner may have of any misdeeds within FIFA, the "football tsunami" of embarrassing revelations that he threatened to unleash, he can now keep for himself.


Good deal for Warner, an insult for football. Warner is not banned from football stadiums or from contacting buddies still working in the game, officials who owe him their jobs and may still do his bidding. It seems, although FIFA's press office won't outright confirm or deny this, that Warner may even still be eligible for his FIFA pension, payable for as many years as he served on the Executive Committee - 28.


The biggest scandal is that FIFA waved off Warner with kind words of thanks, saying his football work was "appreciated and acknowledged."


FIFA's statement completely omitted mention of its own report, which it was sitting on, that accused him of knowing about, facilitating and condoning the alleged bribery in the Caribbean. Nor did it recall the 2006 World Cup ticket scam that Warner's family was fined for, or the other financial misdeeds that critics linked him to over the years.


FIFA closed its ethics probe of Warner. Because Warner is no longer involved in football, FIFA said it no longer has any authority to investigate him. That may be true. But FIFA surely didn't need to go the extra mile and state, as it so obligingly did, that Warner's "presumption of innocence is maintained."


FIFA has not been so forgiving with others, like Michel Zen-Ruffinen, Blatter's former right-hand man forced out for crossing swords with his boss a decade ago. Last November, FIFA declared Zen-Ruffinen "persona non grata" after he told reporters that countries bidding for the World Cup were secretly trading votes.


So why was Warner accorded such a face-saving send-off? Out of fear that he might, if dealt with strictly, pull down others in FIFA, too?


More worrisome is why Warner and bin Hammam apparently felt safe that they wouldn't get into trouble for the alleged bribery in May and that officials offered wads of cash wouldn't double-cross them. Does that suggest that, in the past, officials simply took the money? And is this how FIFA presidential votes are won?


These are questions Warner no longer needs to answer.


How can that be zero tolerance?

Crunch Time ....

THE Premier Soccer League leadership are currently "in a state of confusion" as they don't know where to take the PSL Trophy for presentation on Sunday.

This Sunday sees the local Premiership in a unique or rather interesting situation in which two teams, Motor Action and Dynamos, are poised to win the league title.


The two are tied on 63 points with one round of matches to go and they are both facing two sides -- Lengthens and Black Mambas -- who are also eager to escape the dreaded chop on the last day of the season.

Motor Action, who are leading Dynamos at the top of the Premiership table by virtue of a superior goal difference, entertain Lengthens at home at Motor Action Sports Club on Sunday.

The same afternoon will see Dynamos taking on Black Mambas away at either Rufaro or Morris Depot.

And the PSL are scratching their heads, trying to figure out where to take the championship Trophy for presentation to the eventual winners.

Twine Phiri, the Premiership boss, said yesterday he is aware of the tricky situation they are in.

"It will be ideal to send the trophy to a particular venue for presentation, but it's exciting in that we do not know which team will win it.

"If we had money, we could have hired a helicopter that would be hovering with the trophy between the two venues.

"However, we will just keep the trophy at a neutral venue like the PSL offices and then go with it for presentation to the winners after the end of the games on Sunday," said Phiri.

Phiri said the PSL cannot afford to have the trophy at Motor Action Sports Club without attracting the ire of Dynamos.

Equally, it will be hard for the PSL to have the trophy at Morris Depot or Rufaro without Motor Action raising some questions if they lose the championship in this photofinish race.

The PSL called for fair play from all the teams as they want to jealously guard the sponsorship they have landed for next season.


Phiri yesterday revealed that the league has indeed secu-red a sponsor for next year and that the domestic game will finally be branded.

The CAPS United boss, however, chose to keep a very tight lid on the identity of the sponsors.

"We have secured a sponsor for next season but first of all we have to meet with the board of governors to brief them.

"Definitely we are going to have a sponsor for next year and we will unveil them when the right time comes," said Phiri.

The confirmation by Phiri that the league will have a sponsor next year comes as sweet music into the ears of local Premiership clubs, which have toiled for the past two years without a brand.

But while PSL are keeping a tight lid on the identity of their sponsors as they are still working on the finer details of the contract, it is understood that Econet Wireless, NetOne and Delta Beverages are the potential bankrollers of the league for next year.

But it's all calm in the Dynamos and Motor Action camps ahead of Sunday's crucial title deciders against Lengthens and Black Mambas and indicators are pointing to a bruising finish to the season for the teams involved in the fight for the championship and those fighting to survive relegation.

The Mighty Bulls will host unpredictable Lengthens at Motor Action Sports Club while Dynamos engage Black Mambas at Morris Depot on Sunday, although the match could be shifted to Rufaro.

There is everything to play for for the four clubs involved and with the script now heading towards the climax, no stone will be left unturned in their preparations for the D-Day matches.


But there was little to suggest that the two title contenders will relent on the final day and let slip their chances of landing the title while the two sides in the bottom half of the table will have to throw everything into the matches to survive relegation.

Dynamos goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who has been in good form this season, said the Glamour Boys are determined to win the title after bagging the other titles that were on offer this season.

DeMbare, however, face a drawback from the goal difference, which could take centre stage if both teams win or lose on Sunday, as they have plus 29 while their rivals enjoy a slight advantage with plus 32.

This means they need to win by many goals -- that is, they have to achieve a victory margin of four goals better than Motor Action, whatever the results of both matches.

"That is very possible but we only should not succumb to pressure. In football we should expect anything, but we shall try our best to get the goals and win," said Arubi.

Dynamos go into this match buoyed by the 10 goals they scored in their last three matches and will be hoping to continue with their fine form.

They beat CAPS United 3-2 in their last match to win the BancABC Sup8r Cup and were 4-0 victors over Douglas Warriors in the last league outing.

"Right now we are not putting ourselves under a lot of pressure so that we don't lose focus.

"Instead, we are concentrating on the match against Mambas and our supporters should back us in this because they are the 12th man on the field," he said.


The Mighty Bulls, who are chasing a historic league silverware, revealed yesterday that they were going about their business as they have been doing the whole season, as they prepare for their date with destiny after a brilliant showing in 2010.

Team captain Bekhimpilo Ncube said the Mighty Bulls are not ruffled and are enjoying calmness ahead of the crucial match.

"This is going to be a very important match for us because we want the title. But at the same time Lengthens want to survive relegation, which makes it competitive.

"But we are not putting ourselves under pressure because we are taking this match just like any other game that we have played in the Premiership this season.

"We have taken every game seriously this season and each outing was like a cup final for us and that's the same approach we have now," said Ncube.

The Warriors trialist has been inspirational in the Mighty Bulls' colours this season with his commendable industry in the midfield department.

He said the club owes much of their success this season to coach Joey Antipas and his assistants David George and Prince Matore.

Motor Action were fighting for survival at this stage last season and only one point helped them escape the dreaded relegation-promotion playoffs.

"We had a problem of continuity last season because we changed many coaches but the coming of Mafero (Antipas) and George changed our fortunes.

"These guys mean business. They helped us survive relegation and they have motivated us to continue with the same spirit into the new season.

"There has been stiff competition in the Premiership this season but at Motor Action we had set our motto this year which says we should work very hard all season.

"It makes me proud as captain of this team because Motor Action had never reached this stage in history. We are just hoping that we win the last game and lift the title," he said.

The Battle of the Buffet

Arsenal visit Old Trafford to take on a Manchester United side that are still unbeaten in the Premier League this season. Due to their unconvincing form, Sir Alex Ferguson's side have been dubbed 'The Crap Invincibles' in ironic homage to the Arsenal side that went the season unbeaten in 2003-04. However, six years ago, it was at Old Trafford that Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten run eventually came to an end in a poisonous game that became known as 'The Battle of the Buffet'.

Arsenal and Manchester United did not always settle their differences via the medium of food. In 1990, a more unforgiving era, boots and fists were the weapons of choice in a 21-man brawl - dubbed 'The Battle of Old Trafford' - that resulted in both clubs being deducted points by the Football Association. In the context of such a history of violence between two old foes, a mere abuse of catering facilities might seem trivial, farcical even.

But this was much more than just a storm in a soup bowl, or a pizza box. A 2-0 defeat on October 24, 2004, saw the Arsenal Invincibles surrender their proud record at the home of their great adversaries, and as melted cheese dripped from the face of Sir Alex Ferguson following a post-match food fight, Arsenal's veneer of impermeability also slipped away. This was the end of the brief reign of a truly great side that burned so, so brightly.

Surveying the depth of talent and strength of spirit within his squad during the 2002-03 season, Arsene Wenger first ventured the opinion that his side were capable of going an entire league season unbeaten - a feat that only Preston, in 1889, had achieved before. Doing so invited ridicule from the national press, but in the very next season, Arsenal did achieve immortality when winning 26 and drawing 12 of their 38 league games. It was a unique achievement in the modern era.

Arsenal also accomplished this feat in considerable style. With the deadly Thierry Henry at the peak of his powers, and ably supported by the refined, cerebral talents of Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp, the Gunners glided their way into the history books, and went on to surpass Nottingham Forest's 42-game unbeaten league record the following season when winning 4-1 away at Norwich on August 28, 2004. The great Brian Clough recognised the scale of the achievement, declaring, in his inimitable style that it was "nothing short of incredible". He added: "I'm loath to confess they could be as good as us. They are brilliant. It sticks in the craw a little bit because nobody likes Arsenal! Of course there's a Frenchman in charge, Wenger, and not many English people like Frenchmen."

Arsenal's next milestone was to bring up the unbeaten half-century, an honour usually reserved for practitioners of cricket, and fate decreed game 50 would come against a team that certainly subscribed to Clough's view of Arsenal's dubious popularity - Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. This would not be a celebratory occasion.

Though the passage of time - coupled with the rise of Chelsea and Arsenal's subsequent decline - has since withered the rivalry between Ferguson and Wenger, to the extent that they now exist in a state of tenuous mutual appreciation, it should not be forgotten that at this juncture of Premier League history, theirs was a rivalry infused by intense dislike.

From Ferguson welcoming Wenger's arrival in the Premier League by declaring that "he's a novice - he should keep his opinions to Japanese football" to Wenger's infamous dig that "everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home" after winning the title in 2002, this was a grudge borne of intense competition. Ferguson and Wenger were the dominant figures in Premier League football, and their combative teams needed little encouragement to foster the feud on the pitch.

Indeed, just 12 months prior to their meeting in October 2004, the two clubs were involved in one of the most shameful incidents seen in the Premier League, with Arsenal the guilty party. In game eight of Arsenal's run of 49, a failed penalty from Ruud van Nistelrooy in the dying minutes of a 0-0 draw attracted a petulant reaction from the Arsenal team. Martin Keown, eyes wide in manic delight, leapt on the United striker, who was also assailed by Lauren.

The Arsenal squad had been angered by Van Nistelrooy's role in Patrick Vieira's previous dismissal, and the Football Association hammered the club for their distasteful act of vengeance. Arsenal were fined £175,00 for failing to control their players, while Lauren was banned for four games, Keown three, and one each for Ray Parlour and Vieira. This was the toxic context in which the events of 2004 took place, and the issue was given prominent billing in the build-up to the game in October.

Questioned about Arsenal's behaviour the previous year, Ferguson insisted prior to the game: "They got away with murder. What the Arsenal players did was the worst I have witnessed in sport." Wenger rose to the bait, replying: "Maybe it would be better if you have put us up against a wall and shot us all. I hope that he will calm down."

Any hopes for peace in our time on the day of the game were seriously misguided. In a tense and venomous atmosphere, the game exploded on 73 minutes when Wayne Rooney, on his 19th birthday, spotted an extended leg from Sol Campbell and fell to the ground. Arsenal were incensed - replays showed there was little to no contact - but Van Nistelrooy was handed a chance at redemption, and he warmly accepted when slotting the ball past Jens Lehmann. In the dying seconds, Rooney - who famously launched himself into the public consciousness with a stunning goal for Everton against the Gunners in 2002 - confirmed his status as Arsenal's bête noire with the goal that finally killed off the club's unbeaten record.

Having been brought to their knees at the home of their great rivals, their unbeaten run reduced to rubble, Arsenal were not ready to go quietly. What followed next is the stuff of legend, and no little mystery. After the two sides trooped off the pitch, with a bitter Campbell refusing to shake Rooney's hand, trouble erupted in the tunnel. In scenes befitting a fractious childrens' party, a food fight erupted, and Ferguson was cast in the role of an exhausted parent, his club suit becoming collateral damage in a war waged by petulant pre-teens.

Eager reporters, revelling in the farcical nature of the confrontation, debated the nature of the food that soiled Ferguson's suit, the Daily Telegraph opting for tomato soup and theDaily Mirror placing itself firmly in the pea camp. Of even more intrigue was the identity of the player who, with unerring aim, hurled a slice of pizza that smacked Ferguson square in the face. His identity still remains secret, though fingers have been pointed at Cesc Fabregas - a 17-year-old non-playing substitute on the day, who would display a similarly precocious appreciation of space and trajectory when he began to assume control of the Arsenal midfield over the coming months and seasons.

Though Fabregas has never been formally identified, Ashley Cole artfully reduced the number of possible subjects in his spectacularly misguided autobiography, My Defence. In 2006, Cole wrote: "This slice of pizza came flying over my head and hit Fergie straight in the mush. The slap echoed down the tunnel and everything stopped - the fighting, the yelling, everything. All eyes turned and all mouths gawped to see this pizza slip off that famous puce face and roll down his nice black suit. All I can say is that the culprit wasn't English or French, so that should narrow it down."

Though Wenger, typically, claimed "I haven't seen it" at the time, details of the fracas were also divulged by Ferguson in February 2005, as he embarked on a typically forthright dissection of his great rival. "In the tunnel Wenger was criticising my players, calling them cheats, so I told him to leave them alone and behave himself," Ferguson said. "He ran at me with hands raised saying, 'What do you want to do about it?' To not apologise for the behaviour of the players to another manager is unthinkable. It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise - he's that type of person."

As well as turning his ire towards Ferguson in a wholly untypical way (and presumably with all the menace of a librarian reprimanding a noisy patron), Wenger had also levelled accusations at Van Nistelrooy that called into question the Dutch striker's professional attitude: "We know how Van Nistelrooy behaves. He can only cheat people - we know him very well." The match official would not escape his wrath either, as Wenger added: "[Mike] Riley decided the game, like we know he can do at Old Trafford. We were robbed. There was no contact at all for the penalty, even Rooney said so."

Wenger's outburst resulted in a verdict of improper conduct, while Van Nistelrooy pleaded guilty to "serious foul play" after video evidence emerged of a nasty foul on Ashley Cole. Punishment and blame was apportioned on both sides, and the fallout could have been more severe had the FA not ruled that a "dossier" of evidence submitted by United was inadmissible as it fell outside the governing body's 48-hour limit for reviewing incidents. It was believed United had detailed tackles from Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp that they felt were worthy of further scrutiny.

The intense rivalry was now simmering menacingly, and with a Carling Cup tie between the two clubs on the horizon on December 1, the FA sought to hold summit talks between both parties in order to end the feud. League Managers Association chief executive John Barnwell described the cup game as "a great opportunity to heal the wounds. If you don't face up to these issues then they can be allowed to fester". After David Dein sat down with his United counterpart David Gill at the end of October, the Arsenal vice-chairman insisted: "The clubs have spoken [again] at the highest level and agree the matter is now closed."

Arsenal lost 1-0 at Old Trafford in a battle of two reserve sides in the Carling Cup, but in the next proper meeting of the two teams, a league tie at Highbury on February 1, 2005, Dein's declaration that "the matter is now closed" was proved to be demonstrably false. Before the game had even kicked off, and in the tunnel again no less, Roy Keane went for Patrick Vieira after his long-time rival had attempted to intimidate Gary Neville, jabbing his finger menacingly at the Frenchman and declaring "I'll see you out there". In the fractious relationship between Vieira and Keane, Wenger and Ferguson, and Arsenal and Manchester United at that time, normal service had been resumed.

What happened next? Arsenal won the battle that season, defeating United in the FA Cup final, but lost the war. A great team died at Old Trafford, amid a hail of soup and pizza, as the psychological blow of surrendering their record to United lay heavy on an Arsenal side that would shed key performers in successive summers. While United claimed the league title in 2007, 2008 and 2009, Arsenal have not won a solitary trophy since that FA Cup, Vieira's last game for the club.

Soccer Stars 2010: a fiasco to forget - Newsday: Everyday News for Everyday People

Soccer Stars 2010: a fiasco to forget - Newsday: Everyday News for Everyday People

You Cant Criticise the World Cup and Still Expect to Host It

Richard Northedge


Yes, the media was partly responsible for England failing to host the 2018 World Cup. Not because of the BBC and Sunday Times accusations about Fifa, however, but because the media carping would continue. Why ask an unfriendly nation to host the football tournament when so many other countries would welcome it?



There was much wrong with Fifa’s decision-making but much wrong with the English bid too. Any company that has pitched for a major project would have to be much more businesslike to win. Export orders or domestic sales are not secured by arrogantly expecting to be chosen: they have to be worked for.


England’s case might have been good – but so was the opposition’s. Yet we acted like a job applicant who tells the interviewer when he can start rather than why he should.


The FA’s bid team complains it was misled by Fifa delegates who had pledged their votes, but that suggests the team knows little about selling and less about Fifa’s voting system. Any salesman pitching for orders soon learns not to celebrate when buyers congratulate them on having a good product – that is the sort of polite line buyers say to all the companies that pitch, but only one of the good products gets the order.


However, Fifa’s voting system genuinely allows delegates to vote for three teams. They keep on voting until one country has a majority of the votes, eliminating the weakest each time, but this is not the sort of single-transferable-vote system that elected Ed Miliband as UK Labour Party leader or on which the UK will hold a referendum on in 2011. Delegates hold a fresh vote in each round.


That’s why the Belgian/Dutch vote fell between first and second rounds.


So it was not just the two votes for England in the first round that were re-allocated to their second-choices in the next round, all 22 delegates voted afresh. That means a delegate could promise to vote for Belgium/Netherlands in the first round, England in the second and Russia if there was a third round. But because England went out immediately, countries pledging it their votes did not get a chance to honour their promise.


England also needs to rethink what constitutes bribery, corruption and inducements before it complains at other countries. Not only England’s handbags for wives are questionable: promising a friendly match in Thailand if the Thai delegate gave his vote – or top Olympic hotels in London for Fifa delegates – fail the test too.


But the British media must also be part of the reason for England’s rejection. Nevermind the specific allegations before the Fifa vote, look how the UK press keeps criticising the London Olympics, doubting the budget (correctly), questioning the popularity, carping about the economic benefits and complaining a bout the disruption. If the home press cannot back a bid, what chance support from the international media? If this is what a Sunday paper and television do before the Fifa vote, what would happen over the next eight years?


Why choose a country whose own media are so negative when there are other more compliant nations? Big sports events frequently go to developing countries because their governments pledge huge sums to raise their international profiles. That’s why Russia and Qatar bid so successfully. If those countries happen to have a positive media rather than one that knocks its own tournament, wouldn’t any rational Fifa delegate chose such a nation as host?

The World Cup Host Decision: 22 Men Deciding For Billions

Who should host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup Tourney?


Its very difficult to predict who the FIFA Select Committee will eventually settle on, but I am a fan of the underdogs. If it was up to me, I would pick Russia for 2018 and Qatar for 2022. Why? Simply because they have never hosted before. Furthermore, although it is reported England scored higher marks when FIFA assessed the bids, I feel there is more government commitment from Russia, and besides, FIFA has always trumpeted this tune of taking the game to new territories, and Russia, like the USA, is very virgin territory in as far s the game is concerned.

We could say the same about the Qatar, but being from the third world myself, I am more attracted by the technology they are talking about, and how it can benefit me and my kith and kin down this side. Think of World Cup stadiums being folded after use and shipped to the third world? Thats what you do when you got oil money. Of course the Japanese are also talking about giant screens in more than 400 stadiums across the world that would literally bring the World Cup into my beloved National Sports Stadium but then again, its less than ten years ago when we were watching from Japan, so I would ask them to pass.

But now here is the sad part, no matter what I think and my claim that I could probably rank as one of the top 100 most football passionate people in the world, this will not matter when Sepp Blatter eventually announces the decision tomorrow around 5PM Zim time. I am probably more passionate about the game than half of the 22 men that are going to make this multi-billion dollar decision, bringing into question the FIFA ways of handling football matters. There is just too much politics involved to expect the decision to be about the good of the game.

The first question is why should the World Cup decision be made by a handful of old men, some of whom if media reports and their past decisions are anything to go by, are so prone to corruption they could sell their birthright? Surely, the electorate should be much larger and more diverse. Pedro Pinto of CNN says, about our beloved voters, "They have built such intertwined personal relationships that in many ways they are as familiar as a family. But does this mean they have lost the ability to to be objective when it comes to dealing with the many people they know well-connected to the countries that are bidding to host the tournament?"

I say yes, they are contaminated!

Right now you have got, from England, David Beckham, Prime Minister David Cameroon and Royalty in the form of Prince William in Zurich mixing and mingling with these voters of ours. Bill Clinton is part of the American bid team, and all sorts of mega millionaire television and football starts are abound, campaigning for their favorite countries. Its all good and I may not know with certainty what goes on there, but surely thats a recipe for disaster. What are the chances that the voters are being subjected to some "charismatic" pressure and getting all sorts of promises if they ensured the vote goes a certain way?

What about the allegations of corruption that have marred the run up to the decision. The England bidding team has accused national broadcaster the BBC for being unpatriotic simply because they decided to let out certain allegations of corruption about some of the voters days before the voting. Why are they panicking? Because that story affects a few of the voters, and is capable of contaminating all of them, hence they fear a backlash through the ballot. On the other hand, it could a clever British ploy to way lay the world, especially if you listen to the recent statements about the voters, coming from the likes of Beckham.

But would these same concerns be there if all FIFA members had a representative voting, and accusations were leveled against 3 out of a multitude of voters? Not many would care, hey? It would have been a different scenario. Right now, the group of voters will likely act collectively. They have a very strong network, which they would want to protect, and will "punish" those who want to ruffle their feathers. On the flip side, they may want to be seen to be "clean", and vote against those countries that have been smeared for offering bribes or colluding, even though they could have voted for them on merit. It has just been so jumbled up, I have lost confidence.

Pinto goes on to suggest changes to the voting system, which I agree will make FIFA a bit more democratic:

The hosts should be decided in the following manner:

- Every one of FIFA's 208 member associations should have a representative to take part in the voting.

- The reps should vote in only one World Cup host ballot (and please do away with deciding the venue for 2 World Cups at one go. 4 years is a long time, and so much can change).

- All members must vote at the same place, same time.

This will help open up the process, and give the decision power to more people than just the Charlie Dempseys (remember the guy who didn't vote for SA) of this world. This spreads the voting powers among many and makes it more difficult for the potential hosts to bribe, seek collusion or put pressure of the voters.

You and I are the staunchest followers of this game, and it will be daydreaming to think that we could participate in such decisions (but with technology, lets start pursuing opportunities for worldwide electronic vote, after all we are already voting for the African Footballer of the Year through BBC aren't we?), but we need assurance that the hosts of the World Cup are chosen on merit, and not because someone got paid. The hosting decision is a major decision. The World Cup is a big issue. Billions of tax payer's money are going into preparing the bids and building stadiums to get countries prepared, and it will be treasonous to have the host being decided on any other reason other than FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME.

DeMbare Penalty Blues

Harare giants Dynamos let a massive chance to take over the leadership of the local Premier Soccer League (PSL) slip by falling to Champions Gunners in lively match up at Rufaro, over the weekend. Gunners won the match 1 - 0, courtesy of a third minute strike by midfielder David Redhiyoni. Despite playing way below par, DeMbare had a perfect chance to at least get a point and draw level on points with leaders Motor Action when they were awarded a 61st minute penalty, but goalkeeper Washington Arubi put the ball wide, to leave DeMbare still trailing the Mighty Bulls by one point, having played the same number of games. Now,

Dynamos are faced with a situation where they require other sides, interesting including bitter rivals Highlanders and Caps United, to do them a favour to stop the Mighty Bulls’ march towards their maiden league championship. What will however be disgusting to many DeMbare followers is the fact that Dynamos had the chances to firmly put the destiny of the Championship within their hands, and failure by their players to hold the nerve and convert spot kicks, might turn out to be one of their biggest undoing.

Arubi’s penalty miss was the third by a Dynamos player since October. For a side whose penalty awards are always viewed with suspicion by their rivals, who feel that the multitudes that follow the Mbare side always put referees under pressure to award them spot kicks, DeMbare players must know better than to bury such chances when they come their way. In their last match, DeMbare needed the nerves of referee Ruzive Ruzive to order a retake of Murape Murape’s penalty, to ensure maximum points against the Mighty Bulls. Murape had put his effort wide, but the referee adjudged that Motor Action players were encroaching into the penalty area against the rules of the game, and ordered a retake. Up stepped Arubi to draw DeMbare to within a point of the Eric Rosen owned side. However, the Zimbabwe International goalkeeper could not repeat his feat against Gunners’ Tafadzwa Dube, as he put his effort wide, much to the chagrin of those occupying Vietnam Stand.

It is interesting though to note that at the beginning of the season, defender Guthrie Zhokinyu took responsibility for all of Dynamos’ spot kicks, until the game against Hwange at Rufaro Stadium in October. DeMbare again went on to lose the game 1 – 0, dropping more points which they may live to regret come end of the season. Zhokinyu missed a controversial penalty, taken after Hwange players had threatened to walk off the pitch protesting against the penalty award, given after midfielder Wonder Sithole had tumbled in the box. Zhokinyu might have later wished that Chipangano had gone ahead with their actions, as they were likely to result in the abandonment of the match and possibly awarding of points to DeMbare.

After the Zhokinyu miss, striker Evans Gwekwerere was entrusted with the penalty taking job, but even he found the going tough. Eagles goalkeeper Samuel Mafukidze dived to his right to save his effort in another league match at Rufaro, restricting Dynamos to a painful 1-1 draw – a case of 2 points lost than 1 gained. Gwekwerere was immediately sidelined from the penalty taking duties, and veteran Murape Murape came to the scene. Murape’s first chance at glory was going to be in the volatile top of the table clash against the Mighty Bulls. Having missed a seater a week earlier against bitter rivals Caps United in open play a game earlier, Murape sought to endear himself with the DeMbare faithful with the goal that was to dehorn their foes to the throne. Again, the penalty blues stuck with him. He missed, only for Ruzive and Arubi to save his day.

Missing so many penalties in the twilight of the season is likely to see Dynamos paying heavily. All, but one of the penalty misses so far have been the difference between collecting points or walking off empty handed for DeMbare. It remains to be seen whether they will regret the misses come end of season. Some circles have started suggesting that this is the effect of not having Sports Psychologists in the Zimbabwean premiership, which then sees the players failing to hold their nerve in the midst of the multitudes’ expectations. Arubi has been one of the most loved Dynamos players this season, with some stellar performances that have often earned him instant cash rewards from the Dynamos followers. His miss over the weekend might have however meted instant justice on his side’s title aspirations, turning him from a hero to villain.

Other pundits claimed that senior players at Dynamos intimidate others, hence the nerves seen on the pitch. One wonders if that is the reason for the constant change of penalty takers. Missing a penalty is common in football, but sometimes there is no better sign of confidence in a player by his teammates or coach than to ask him to take the next one. There seems to be no second chances at Dynamos. Zhokinyu scored more than 4 penalties for Dynamos from the beginning of the season, but was immediately stripped of the responsibility the day he missed the first one. Was that the right strategy? A most recent exhibition of how best to deal with a penalty miss was in the recent World Cup second round match between Ghana and Uruguay. Although he missed probably the most important of his entire career, Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan’s teammates showed a lot of belief in him, which he repaid with lots of composure when he led his teammates in the penalty shootout. Such chances don’t seem to exist at DeMbare, and one wonders who will be brave enough to step up, if they do get a penalty against Kiglon Bird tomorrow.