Every Thursday, Zimsoccerfan waves its magic wand and tries to predict the outcome of the weekend’s Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League results.
This week, the local Premiership enters week number 18. Pacesetters Motor Action continue to lead the pack, and got some reprieve from Shabanie Mine yesterday who held their closest rivals Dynamos to a 1 all draw at Maglas Stadium in Zvishavane. The draw left the ten point gap between De Mbare and the Mighty Bulls firmly intact, as the Boys in Blue face their biggest fixture of the season, against old foes Highlanders at Babourfields. The Bulls date former Champions Monomotapa at Rufaro 24 hours earlier. Here is what we think will be the outcome:
Friday 24 Sept, 2010
Bantu Rovers Vs Eagles (Hartsfield Grounds)
The house that Methembe “Mayor” Ndlovu is building seems to be crumbling before it reaches window level. The relegation threatened “Thsova Guluva” need to find the points fast, and this just doesn’t appear to be the game they will do so. Eagles have not been at their best, but have shown that they may have the staying power to be in the Premiership for yet another season. A draw away from home will make the new Warriors Assistant Coach Friday Phiri a happy man, and he is almost assured of it.
This is not a game that many will be paying much attention to, but will have a huge bearing on the relegation dogfight come end of season. We think Eagles will go out there to avoid defeat, and they will be able to do so. A 1 all draw is most likely.
Saturday 25 Sept, 2010
Lengthens Vs. Douglas Warriors (Dzivarasekwa)
This will be a battle of old foes as Lengthens and Dougie settle issues that arise from their rivalry in the first division. Douglas Warriors had developed a reputation of being the near men of the Northern Region Division league as they would escort other teams, including The Happy People to the finishing line. They would now want to prove their mettle when they face one of the sides that once peeped them on promotion into the Premier League.
Life in the top flight hasn’t been easy for the Douglas Tanyanyiwa owned team, and with an injury likely to keep key player Admire Dzukamanja, arguably the most experienced in their rank out, they are likely to find the going tough at DZ. Lengthens do play well at Dzivarasekwa, and on a good day, they should be able to choke up a 2 – 0 win.
Monomotapa Vs. Motor Action (Rufaro)
Aside from the highly anticipated Battle of Zimbabwe Part II at B/F, this is easily the second biggest attraction this weekend. Given that it will be played a day before the Blue Army that supports Dynamos rallies behind its team at B/F, you can expect a lot of them to be there cheering on Monos.
Motor Action have become the latest rivals for De-Mbare, and the way they went about collecting maximum points in an ill tempered tie Vs. DeMbare earlier this season, plus how they have kept on collecting more on the trot, will sway thousands to back whoever they will be playing against. Monoz are likely to benefit heavily this Saturday. The former Champions have not been a convincing lot themselves. In fact ever since they won the Championship, they have failed to reproduce the form locally that saw them play in the group stages of the Orange CAF Champions League last season. They seem to have been content to do just enough to stay in mid table.
The game will be good, if not downright pulsating. But, supposing Alan Gahadzikwa and co. find their rhythm in the middle of the park, and William Kupera brings his shooting boots again, it is easy to expect another victory for the Joey Antipas coached side from Motor Action Sports Club. This is likely to end in a 2 - 1 win for the Bulls.
Shooting Starts Vs. Kiglon (Gwanzura)
Its very difficult to rate Shooting Starts’ performance this season. They have really been on and off, from being blasted 3 – 0 from a confidence lacking Caps United to bravely holding a marauding Motor Action goalless last week. One never knows what really to expect when they march onto the turf at Gwanzura come Saturday afternoon.
Kiglon’s performances will also not do much to help us predict what thy can do. Only last week, they showed how self destructive they can be when they allowed a seemingly out of sorts Hwange side come from 2 goals down to win the match at Rufaro. Give them Dynamos or Caps, and you will see the best out of Kiglon. Against other so called small teams, they become punching bags.
Having said that, we think veteran Elliot Matsika will once again rise to the occasion and give Coach Gishon “Gizha” Ntini something to smile about, come end of Saturday. A 1 – 0 win for the Stars is likely.
Sunday 26 Sept, 2010
Caps United Vs. Black Mambas (Rufaro)
If there is a side that is exciting to watch these days, it is none other than the yellow coloured Green Machine. Maybe the much talked about yellow strip was a sign of maturity that the team has attained since Moses “Bambo” Chunga took over from Lloyd “Llodza” Chitembwe a few weeks ago. Chunga has chalked up four wins on the trot, a no mean feat given that victory had eluded Chitembwe’s side for so long. Zimsoccerfans believe there is more to underperformance of a team than just the coach, but there comes a time when a coach just can’t find it in him to motivate the players, and a new one can come and use the same players to do wonders. This is what we feel Chunga is doing at Caps right now.
What makes this fixture interesting though is the fact that Mambas themselves have been going through some sort of mini revival. After sponsors Twalumba Holdings poured in some cash, and some high profile campaigners like ex Dynamos goalkeeper Willard Manyatera, Defender William Mapfumo as well as ex Lengthens and Warriors fringe striker Richard Mteki joined them, things have been sort of looking up for the police side. Technical Director Madinda Ndlovu will be hard pressed to justify his recent puzzling appointment into the Warriors technical team, and will hope his team will be buoyed by their 1 – 1 draw with his boyhood team Highlanders, to string a surprise against a highly jovial Makepekepe side. It will be a toll order.
Inasmuch as we love the David Vs. Goliath story, we are afraid we are not expecting miracles in this one. If Manyatera is able to keep the scoreline below 3, he would have done a great job. This shall go to Kepekepe and Chunga at 3 – 0
Gunners Vs. Shabanie Mine (National Sports Stadium)
The Champions seems to be another side on a revival. They have all of a sudden re-emerged to take up a top four place, just at a time when we were about to forget who the holders are. Norman Maroto has kept his goal scoring touch from last season, and might become one of the few modern day players to make it onto the Soccer Stars calendar for two consecutive years. It’s been a rarity these days. With his boots on, Shabanie might be in for a toast.
However, the asbestos miners have not been bad themselves, especially given that they are coming to Harare on the back of holding giants Dynamos 1 -1 at Maglas. But then again, one will be quickly reminded that that was at Maglas. John Ncube’s side play a shoddy game the moment they leave Zvishavane and that is likely to see them go down to 2 more goals from Norman Maroto, and they would have done well to offer a response. 2 - 1 to Gunners!
Highlanders Vs. Dynamos (Babourfields)
Those in the know call this the Battle of Zimbabwe Part II. It’s by far the Pick of the Week, and it wouldn’t have come at a better time, tension wise. The last time the two met, it couldn’t be settled on footballing terms. Now the High Court has been called in to try and force a re-match. Rivalries hardly come any bigger than this. Forget that Highlanders have not been at their best, or that De-Mbare have been the punching bag of their Orange CAF Champions League group. All of a sudden, all the underperformers find their rhythm. These are the kinds of games that turn players’ careers up side down, as well as down side up. Ask a guy called Dimitre Bebatov what games of this nature do to your confidence.
Although he led his side in some grueling encounters on the African safari, Dynamos Coach Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe will find no better match than his first one in charge, the one that saw his side, led by one Cuthbert Malajila clobber Bosso 4 – 0 one Sunday afternoon at Rufaro last season. Highlanders’ fans will breathe a sigh of relief there is no Malajila to talk about this time.
The best we will hope for is that this one will see the full ninety minutes being played. Even if its so, we doubt there will be anything to separate the two sides. Yes, a draw will do more harm to De Mbare than Bosso, and De Mbare have a knack of playing their best at B/F, but we got this hunch this one will see a share of spoils, and sorry to the fans, we don’t see no goals being scored. Both strike forces have been so blunt in front of goal this season. It will be good, explosive, entertaining, very good value for money, but no goals. 0 - 0.
Hwange Vs. FC Victoria (Colliery)
This one seems to be a no brainer. Hwange are tough at home, ask Motor Action. They might have come up with three points, but they were made to sweat for it. They also showed that they can do it away from home with a dramatic 3 -2 come back win at Rufaro against Kiglon last week, and seem strong and prepared enough to overhaul the Masvingo based FC Victoria. 3 – 1 to the hosts.
Hey, we are no authorities at this. This was arrived at after some amateur born throwing, the same technique we have been using to try to win the Lotto with no luck ever since we turned 18. So, you might fancy taking us on a Bone throwing competition and come up with your own predictions. Perfect the art now, because soon we shall be offering prizes for the most accurate predictions
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
They Too Must Be Judged?
Tempers are now kind of cooling, but the feeling that we were robbed is still there. Yes, we still recovering from the shock of ZIFA’s mind boggling choice of a Warriors mentor, but hey, life has to go on. It was yet another reminder that no matter how many times we have shouted ourselves hoarse urging the Warriors on, we the fans are far from calling the shots when it comes to the real issues. How we wish the ZIFA board was voted for in a public election like the Parliament, then we would have a real say. How can the people’s sport be so undemocratic?
Anyway, while we have conceded defeat for now, we still feel that there is still room for poetic justice in this whole thing. Ok, now we are pinning our hopes that those that call the shorts are more Zimbabwean than just holding passports that say so. We hope that there is some shade of wisdom in their appointing someone that pretenders to the Warriors throne called Namibia are disposing of. There is some semblance of sober mind that’s asking us not to speak too soon about the hairy one from Belgium since in Shona we say ungangoshora mbodza neinozvimbira. Being the Warriors supporters that we are, we sometimes have to do away with logic and support whoever pretends to direct the guys in green and gold. But that doesn’t mean that we are letting it seize and settle just like that. No, not when the stakes are this high! We have a demand to make!
Here is our line of thinking: everyone ought to stand up to the decisions they make, and if they are so confident that is the best course of action, they need to commit. You don’t just make such a key decision about the People’s decision, unless you are convinced it is for the best. We will what this Saintfiet is made of on the field of play, as early as next month when Cape Verde visits. Events will judge him, and his appointees, as usual, will have the luxury to fire him if they so wish, and possibly recall Mapeza to preide over dead rubbers after the foreigner has ensured we throw away enough points to miss our on the Big Guys’ showcase again.
We can’t continue to let those who have the somehow exclusive right to spend national resources on bringing Failures here continue to dilly dallying with our hearts without consequences. They too must be judged. Let’s call on them to back their decisions by committing to resign from the ZIFA Board if this Belgian experiment of theirs cost us a chance to dance with the best at the Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. We have admitted, no one would guarantee that Mapeza was definitely going to take the Warriors there, but neither can this Tommy guy. So, someone ought to have seen something in him the rest of us cant that he should be willing to bet their specials on this. So, let’s have it Selection Sub Committee! Let Saintief take us to AFCON 2012, or your seats at the Board become vacant.
If we could have even just one or two of our football leaders making such commitments, we would be miles ahead. The major problem is that these ZIFA people do not account to the people that matter. The ones who fork out hard earned US Dollars to watch our beloved Warriors hunt in the African Jungle. The ones whose diaphragms ache after ninety minutes of vuvuzela blowing, the ones whose voices go hoarse shouting for goals, the ones whose water ZINWA has shut after we ran up a huge bill cleaning up our faces which we had painted in red, gold, green, white and black. These are the people who make bets with their sweat each time the Warriors line up, and they deserve some sort of respect, especially from those who consistently break their hearts with some selfish and misguided decisions.
Anyway, while we have conceded defeat for now, we still feel that there is still room for poetic justice in this whole thing. Ok, now we are pinning our hopes that those that call the shorts are more Zimbabwean than just holding passports that say so. We hope that there is some shade of wisdom in their appointing someone that pretenders to the Warriors throne called Namibia are disposing of. There is some semblance of sober mind that’s asking us not to speak too soon about the hairy one from Belgium since in Shona we say ungangoshora mbodza neinozvimbira. Being the Warriors supporters that we are, we sometimes have to do away with logic and support whoever pretends to direct the guys in green and gold. But that doesn’t mean that we are letting it seize and settle just like that. No, not when the stakes are this high! We have a demand to make!
Here is our line of thinking: everyone ought to stand up to the decisions they make, and if they are so confident that is the best course of action, they need to commit. You don’t just make such a key decision about the People’s decision, unless you are convinced it is for the best. We will what this Saintfiet is made of on the field of play, as early as next month when Cape Verde visits. Events will judge him, and his appointees, as usual, will have the luxury to fire him if they so wish, and possibly recall Mapeza to preide over dead rubbers after the foreigner has ensured we throw away enough points to miss our on the Big Guys’ showcase again.
We can’t continue to let those who have the somehow exclusive right to spend national resources on bringing Failures here continue to dilly dallying with our hearts without consequences. They too must be judged. Let’s call on them to back their decisions by committing to resign from the ZIFA Board if this Belgian experiment of theirs cost us a chance to dance with the best at the Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. We have admitted, no one would guarantee that Mapeza was definitely going to take the Warriors there, but neither can this Tommy guy. So, someone ought to have seen something in him the rest of us cant that he should be willing to bet their specials on this. So, let’s have it Selection Sub Committee! Let Saintief take us to AFCON 2012, or your seats at the Board become vacant.
If we could have even just one or two of our football leaders making such commitments, we would be miles ahead. The major problem is that these ZIFA people do not account to the people that matter. The ones who fork out hard earned US Dollars to watch our beloved Warriors hunt in the African Jungle. The ones whose diaphragms ache after ninety minutes of vuvuzela blowing, the ones whose voices go hoarse shouting for goals, the ones whose water ZINWA has shut after we ran up a huge bill cleaning up our faces which we had painted in red, gold, green, white and black. These are the people who make bets with their sweat each time the Warriors line up, and they deserve some sort of respect, especially from those who consistently break their hearts with some selfish and misguided decisions.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Why Saintfiet?
Some things never change in Zim football. At ZIFA, it doesn’t matter who is in charge, it’s always full of surprises. And there is an age old adage which says never change a winning team that seems to have eluded those in charge of our football.
True to form, the latest board in charge at 53 Livingstone connived to shock soccer loving Zimbabweans with an inexplicable decision to relieve Warriors Coach Norman Mapeza and replace him with one Tom Saintfiet who is being fired by lowly Namibia. What really is wrong with these people? Fine, we might admit that Nomara hasn’t yet proved himself at the top level in terms of coaching, but how better is this guy from Belgium, we wonder? At least we know who Norman is. The man won the domestic championship with a then non giant called Monomotapa. He has played in world football’s top club competition, the European Champions League. He has captained the Warriors and played countless matches at both senior and junior national level. No one can really take anything from the way he has started the current campaign, nor the performance of the team he took to Liberia two weeks ago. So, on what basis did the so called selection committee decide to sideline Mapeza for the unknown Belgian?
Why are our Zim football administrators so obsessed with foreign coaches? It’s very surprising given that no foreigner has even been able to win the regional COSAFA Cup with the Warriors. On both occasions the warriors have qualified for the Cup of Nations and the Championship of African Nations (CHAN), it’s been the local boys who have been in charge, Norman included. We don’t care what their CVs say or where they have coached before, if the foreigners aren’t gonna take us to the Holy Grail; we don’t want them anywhere close to the Warriors bench. Besides, the come at a cost ten times more than what the locals demand, so why ZIFA why?
Maybe the answer to the treasonous decision the selection committee had arrived at can be found in the alternative nominations these guys had made. It is reported that the committee had appointed Black Mambas’ Madinda Ndlovu and ex - Monomotapa (now Eagles Gaffer) Friday Phiri to deputise Sentief. Caps United Goalkeepers Coach Richard Twatwa was also to be roped in. What’s striking about that decision is the fact that neither of the appointees had applied for the job. It would appear therefore that a plot to ensure the interests of the members of the selection committee are catered for in the Warriors set up was brewing here.
We are happy when men who have put personal resources in developing the local game get involved in the decision making hierarchy, but our deduction of how these appointments might have been reached, sends chills right down the spine. It would appear Friday Phiri came in as Solomon Mugavazi’s trump card. Mugavazi is a director at Monos where Phiri is part of the coaching staff. There is no hiding that Twatwa represented Twine Phiri’s interests, being from CAPS United which is owned by the PSL Chairman, and Madinda represented some Regionalists who seems to clamour for some dubious quota system which really has no place in football. This of course is a ploy to influence the team selection and guarantee that clubs like CAPS United and Monos get their players in the national team, and get chances to be bought outside the country, for the likes of Twine and Solo to pocket the dollars.
Mapeza might just be paying for his level headedness. He showed that he is not scared to make big decisions by dropping Captain Benjani Mwaruwaru, his Vice Esrom Nyandoro and Midfield kingpin Tinashe Nengomasha for the trip to Monorovia, and many might have swallowed their hearts when his new look side put up a good show and irked a decent result. This might not have gone down well with some quarters who were hoping he will be condemned for his bravery. It became crystal clear that influencing such a man to pick their favourites will be pie in the sky, and so the ZIFA bosses thought of giving the job to their blue eyed boys. It’s sad that the same men we thought were building our game are the forefront on destroying it.
Yes, there might be nothing yet to suggest Mapeza was going to be a huge success, and who knows, ZIFA might still settle for someone else even before the end of this campaign. But why should we accept the appointment of this excuse called Saintfiet that Namibia no longer wants being preferred ahead of Mushini wemajuzi. Norman deserves a chance, not only to ensure continuity as he deputised Sunday Marimo, the previous head coach, but also simply because right now, there is just no plausible reason to drop him. The man hasn’t failed, and it appears the team, fans and the media like him. So why drop him? Zimbabwe needs to play for consistency if we want our game to succeed. Our neighbours South Africa might not be the best example of consistency, but they showed some reasoning when they appointed Pitso Mosimane to take over from Carlos Alberto Pereira ahead of Gavin Hunt, 3 time League Champion with Supersport. Its clear the decision was influenced mainly by the need for consistency, since Pitso was Pereira’s understudy, and the same reasoning should apply to Nomara.
We are tired of these double standards. If it was not for our love of the Warriors, we were gonna call for a boycott of all Warriors matches long as this Belgian is in charge, but thats too much. Its up to you the owners of the game, maybe we need some uriri on the Warriors bench when Cape Verde comes, or better still in the VIP enclosure, just to express ourselves.
True to form, the latest board in charge at 53 Livingstone connived to shock soccer loving Zimbabweans with an inexplicable decision to relieve Warriors Coach Norman Mapeza and replace him with one Tom Saintfiet who is being fired by lowly Namibia. What really is wrong with these people? Fine, we might admit that Nomara hasn’t yet proved himself at the top level in terms of coaching, but how better is this guy from Belgium, we wonder? At least we know who Norman is. The man won the domestic championship with a then non giant called Monomotapa. He has played in world football’s top club competition, the European Champions League. He has captained the Warriors and played countless matches at both senior and junior national level. No one can really take anything from the way he has started the current campaign, nor the performance of the team he took to Liberia two weeks ago. So, on what basis did the so called selection committee decide to sideline Mapeza for the unknown Belgian?
Why are our Zim football administrators so obsessed with foreign coaches? It’s very surprising given that no foreigner has even been able to win the regional COSAFA Cup with the Warriors. On both occasions the warriors have qualified for the Cup of Nations and the Championship of African Nations (CHAN), it’s been the local boys who have been in charge, Norman included. We don’t care what their CVs say or where they have coached before, if the foreigners aren’t gonna take us to the Holy Grail; we don’t want them anywhere close to the Warriors bench. Besides, the come at a cost ten times more than what the locals demand, so why ZIFA why?
Maybe the answer to the treasonous decision the selection committee had arrived at can be found in the alternative nominations these guys had made. It is reported that the committee had appointed Black Mambas’ Madinda Ndlovu and ex - Monomotapa (now Eagles Gaffer) Friday Phiri to deputise Sentief. Caps United Goalkeepers Coach Richard Twatwa was also to be roped in. What’s striking about that decision is the fact that neither of the appointees had applied for the job. It would appear therefore that a plot to ensure the interests of the members of the selection committee are catered for in the Warriors set up was brewing here.
We are happy when men who have put personal resources in developing the local game get involved in the decision making hierarchy, but our deduction of how these appointments might have been reached, sends chills right down the spine. It would appear Friday Phiri came in as Solomon Mugavazi’s trump card. Mugavazi is a director at Monos where Phiri is part of the coaching staff. There is no hiding that Twatwa represented Twine Phiri’s interests, being from CAPS United which is owned by the PSL Chairman, and Madinda represented some Regionalists who seems to clamour for some dubious quota system which really has no place in football. This of course is a ploy to influence the team selection and guarantee that clubs like CAPS United and Monos get their players in the national team, and get chances to be bought outside the country, for the likes of Twine and Solo to pocket the dollars.
Mapeza might just be paying for his level headedness. He showed that he is not scared to make big decisions by dropping Captain Benjani Mwaruwaru, his Vice Esrom Nyandoro and Midfield kingpin Tinashe Nengomasha for the trip to Monorovia, and many might have swallowed their hearts when his new look side put up a good show and irked a decent result. This might not have gone down well with some quarters who were hoping he will be condemned for his bravery. It became crystal clear that influencing such a man to pick their favourites will be pie in the sky, and so the ZIFA bosses thought of giving the job to their blue eyed boys. It’s sad that the same men we thought were building our game are the forefront on destroying it.
Yes, there might be nothing yet to suggest Mapeza was going to be a huge success, and who knows, ZIFA might still settle for someone else even before the end of this campaign. But why should we accept the appointment of this excuse called Saintfiet that Namibia no longer wants being preferred ahead of Mushini wemajuzi. Norman deserves a chance, not only to ensure continuity as he deputised Sunday Marimo, the previous head coach, but also simply because right now, there is just no plausible reason to drop him. The man hasn’t failed, and it appears the team, fans and the media like him. So why drop him? Zimbabwe needs to play for consistency if we want our game to succeed. Our neighbours South Africa might not be the best example of consistency, but they showed some reasoning when they appointed Pitso Mosimane to take over from Carlos Alberto Pereira ahead of Gavin Hunt, 3 time League Champion with Supersport. Its clear the decision was influenced mainly by the need for consistency, since Pitso was Pereira’s understudy, and the same reasoning should apply to Nomara.
We are tired of these double standards. If it was not for our love of the Warriors, we were gonna call for a boycott of all Warriors matches long as this Belgian is in charge, but thats too much. Its up to you the owners of the game, maybe we need some uriri on the Warriors bench when Cape Verde comes, or better still in the VIP enclosure, just to express ourselves.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Are DeMbare Execs For Real?
Exactly what happens when someone joins the Dynamos Football Club executive?
Some cloud of confusion seems to engulf anyone who joins any team of executives that attempts to run the affairs of this football teams. It seems not to matter who it is, or where they coming from. Even some of the country’s once considered shrewd businessmen have turned into unbelievable blunderers the moment they get into the Dynamos offices. They seem to immediately forget the rules that govern the game, cast corporate governance to the dust bin, start thinking as if the team is bigger than the game itself and seem to consider other teams as mere pawns meant to be sacrificed in the process of getting what the ever demanding legion of their team’s fans call for.
What is amazing is that some of these individuals would have actually served the game at national level, and in most instances running successful business entities. Yet, when they come to DeMbare, all hell breaks loose. Could it be the pressure that is associated with the huge expectations the DeMbare following relentlessly carry season in, season out? Or could it be that these would have been incompetent individuals whose shortcomings would now be exposed by running arguably the country’s largest sporting institution by following? One can’t help but ask these questions seeing the comedy of errors the powers that be continue to make in running the popular club.
The latest one is the team’s exec’s attempt to “borrow” players from other Zimbabwean teams to take to their Champions League match TP Mazembe in the DRC tomorrow. It is reported Dynamos tried to get midfielder Steven Alumenda (CAPS United), defender Zephaniah Ngodzo (Higlanders) and goalkeeper Willard Manyatera (Black Mambas) to be part of their contigent to their CAF Champions League Mini league match against Champions Mazembe. Thsi cam after seven of the DeMbare players had been suspended after picking two yellow cards and red cards in the tournament. Alumanda, Ngodzo and Manyatera were registered with CAF by Dynamos late last yaer, although the former two had not signed for the team. Manyatera was then a Dynamos player but moved to the Police side after being considered excess baggage at the Glamour Boys.
Admitted, taking players from other teams in the domestic league is a practice alleged to be prevalent with some West African clubs who participate in continental championships, but the fact is that CAF rules are very clear that a player can only play for a team in the Champions League that he is registered with locally. Any soccer exec who is not aware of this rule should immediately resign. Yet, DeMbare execs wanted to take players featuring for other clubs for their continental assignment. Even at schools level, where the winning schools would pick players from other schools to form some sort of zonal or district select, this practice has been banned. Yet the Dynamos executives want to do this at continental level. Stop embarrassing us!
What makes this even funny is that according to reports, team coach Elvis ‘Chuchu” Chiweshe wasn’t even aware of his bosses’ manoeuvres. How on earth was he expected to plan his game when he wasn’t aware of the “new” players that were going to be part of his team? And then there is this idea of speaking to the media claiming that other clubs had agreed to release their players for their benefit. This is one very irritating practice synonymous with anyone that become part of the DeMbare executive which has continued unabated over the years. Who do they think they are? Always abusing the media attention on them to become self appointed spokesmen for other clubs.
Now, to consider that it was because of some ill conceived ideas of registering some of these players with CAF when Dynamos had neither contracts with them nor finalised negotiations with their clubs late last year makes the whole scenario laughable. Towards the end of last year, eager to build a team capable of bringing continental glory home, Dynamos executives were busy submitting details of any player in the local league they thought would appear on the soccer stars calendar, even without talking to the player’s paymasters. As fate would have it, some players didn’t eventually join DeMbare and the team found itself with registered players not on its payroll. That misdemeanour is now back to haunt the club at the time of its most wanting, when they need their best performance to rescue an ailing campaign in the cauldron of Kinshasa.
The issues of player registration and transfers seem to be robotics to almost anyone that has been in charge of the affairs of the Harare giants. The handling of the Cuthbert Malajila transfer from Army side Chapungu being a recent case in point. To an independent observer, it was very clear Chapungu were very patient with Dynamos and looked willing to sit down and talk to DeMbare. However, DeMbare blatantly took advantage of Chapungu’s benevolence, and the player’s desperation to play at the highest level and attract the eventual move to Tunisia. Chapungu on many occasions accused Dynamos of negotiating in bad faith, fielding the player when there had been an agreement that he should not play til negotiations are completed. It only made sense for what will be the point of negotiating if the buying club is already enjoying the services of the player being transferred, and indeed Dynamos were enjoying Malajila’s scoring prowess. At the end of the day Malajila made the move up north, and sadly for Dynamos, no cent came their way, despite them marketing the player at the highest club level in the continent.
In 2003, Dynamos virtually lost the League Championship because of their executive’s abhorrence in using striker Eddie Mufema against the orders of the Premier Soccer League. Mufema, then embroiled in an ownership dispute between DeMbare and Eric Rosen’s Motor Action, played in a game against Lancashire Steel and the team was docked three points, which at the end of the day was the difference between them and eventual winners Amazulu. Such wanton disregard of the rules boggles the mind and leaves wondering whether DeMbare’s leaders consider their team invincible and above the law. Or maybe they are just ignorant of the rules and regulations governing the game the claim to administer.
Currently, midfielder Farai Vimisayi only waits to play for DeMbare in the Champions League as he is barred by his club Hwange from playing in the local league, again as a result of a raging transfer dispute between his former and current paymasters. Hwange, Chapungu and other clubs have insistently complained about DeMbare’s big brother attitude when it comes to negotiating for player transfers. Given, many players would want to don the Blue and White strip of Dynamos, but that shouldn’t give the team from Mbare the green-light to hold other sides at ransom, and negotiate in bad faith. It is very clear that if they were to be charged, Dynamos will be found guilty of palyer tapping at many occasions. And this should make them tantamount to being banned from the transfer market. How does one explain a situation where a player considered AWOL by his club features for another in their continental matches? With a player seeing the lifetime opportunity to play consistently before multitudes and the guarantee of continental football, smaller clubs are always at a loss as their want away players drool over a move to Dynamos. This is what normally results in the awkward Vimisai situation where the player only waits to play a few continental matches while seating out the rest of the season. Its pathetic.
To make matters worse, DeMbare hardly give these players, no matter how desperate they will be to please Vietnam stand, long term contracts. Most of them come for one season loan spells, which at the end of the day benefits the player’s original club as they are the ones that get to pocket the money if the player eventually leaves for a foreign club. This was the case with Malajila and speed merchant Edward “Duduza” Sadomba who moved to Mozambique then Al Hilal of Sudan two seasons ago. It is also reported that DeMbare didn’t benefit from the transfer of four players Ephraim Mazarura, Mtshumayeli Moyo, Phillip Marufu and Carrington Gomba to DRC side FC Lupopo early this year. All these players were on loan to DeMbare and the side simply marketed them to cash rich clubs on the continent who paid the clubs that had longer term contracts with the players.
Having botched enough with player transfers and registration, DeMbare were ready to bite the bait from TP Mazembe, in the form of USD 400,000 donation! Surely, any A level Business Studies student who can define Corporate Governance could easily see through the potential conflict of interest associated with such a dubious offer. But alas, some in the Dynamos executive were already buying tickets to go and negotiate “the deal” with Governor Katumba of Katanga Province. Were they serious?
The level of unprofessionalism at Dynamos can be blamed for the constant lack of financial resources the club faces. It may indeed be too simplistic to say if each of the claimed 7 million supporters donates a dollar each, the club will become a multi-million dollar institution over night, but it is certainly true that the Glamour Boys can easily raise a million dollars from its supporters by either donations or membership fees without much struggle. Why such a scheme will never work currently is simply because the current and past leaderships don’t inspire confidence in the club’s following. There are many who could easily part with their lifetime savings to assist their beloved DeMbare, but with the current circus and that of past years, they would rather wait and see.
Given its following and achievements on the domestic and continental scene, Dynamos shouldn’t be struggling for players, training facilities and finances as it currently does. With a professional executive, visionaries who can see beyond lining up their pockets, Dynamos can be one of the biggest economic players in this country. What with the potential to sell replica shirts or even run Sports shops. Potential DeMbare executives must take a closer look at the developments in Zimbabwean cricket, and learn how franchises, which is basically what Dynamos is, should be run.
To hell with the thought that the team must cease to be a community team to be run professionally. DeMbare stands a better chance to succeed as a community team, than as privately held. Look at Barcelona, possibly the world’s most successful community team. They even refuse shirt sponsorship deals choosing instead to emblazon their jerseys with the UNICEF logo. They still afford to have the world’s most exciting player Lionel Messi in their team. DeMbare can do the same. Many corporates are headed by staunch Dynamos supporters, who would die to have their name even on the sleeves of the famous Blue and White strip. Many companies would pay thousands just to have their names and products associated with the famous team, but only if the controversies that often rear their ugly heads can be kept at a minimum, if not out of the picture totally. The team’s leadership needs to get real, realise that they are running the nation’s most supported team and stop the Mickey Mouse business of borrowing players from rivals, receiving donations from opponents or relying on bully tactics to force smaller teams to let their players play for Dynamos for free.
Some cloud of confusion seems to engulf anyone who joins any team of executives that attempts to run the affairs of this football teams. It seems not to matter who it is, or where they coming from. Even some of the country’s once considered shrewd businessmen have turned into unbelievable blunderers the moment they get into the Dynamos offices. They seem to immediately forget the rules that govern the game, cast corporate governance to the dust bin, start thinking as if the team is bigger than the game itself and seem to consider other teams as mere pawns meant to be sacrificed in the process of getting what the ever demanding legion of their team’s fans call for.
What is amazing is that some of these individuals would have actually served the game at national level, and in most instances running successful business entities. Yet, when they come to DeMbare, all hell breaks loose. Could it be the pressure that is associated with the huge expectations the DeMbare following relentlessly carry season in, season out? Or could it be that these would have been incompetent individuals whose shortcomings would now be exposed by running arguably the country’s largest sporting institution by following? One can’t help but ask these questions seeing the comedy of errors the powers that be continue to make in running the popular club.
The latest one is the team’s exec’s attempt to “borrow” players from other Zimbabwean teams to take to their Champions League match TP Mazembe in the DRC tomorrow. It is reported Dynamos tried to get midfielder Steven Alumenda (CAPS United), defender Zephaniah Ngodzo (Higlanders) and goalkeeper Willard Manyatera (Black Mambas) to be part of their contigent to their CAF Champions League Mini league match against Champions Mazembe. Thsi cam after seven of the DeMbare players had been suspended after picking two yellow cards and red cards in the tournament. Alumanda, Ngodzo and Manyatera were registered with CAF by Dynamos late last yaer, although the former two had not signed for the team. Manyatera was then a Dynamos player but moved to the Police side after being considered excess baggage at the Glamour Boys.
Admitted, taking players from other teams in the domestic league is a practice alleged to be prevalent with some West African clubs who participate in continental championships, but the fact is that CAF rules are very clear that a player can only play for a team in the Champions League that he is registered with locally. Any soccer exec who is not aware of this rule should immediately resign. Yet, DeMbare execs wanted to take players featuring for other clubs for their continental assignment. Even at schools level, where the winning schools would pick players from other schools to form some sort of zonal or district select, this practice has been banned. Yet the Dynamos executives want to do this at continental level. Stop embarrassing us!
What makes this even funny is that according to reports, team coach Elvis ‘Chuchu” Chiweshe wasn’t even aware of his bosses’ manoeuvres. How on earth was he expected to plan his game when he wasn’t aware of the “new” players that were going to be part of his team? And then there is this idea of speaking to the media claiming that other clubs had agreed to release their players for their benefit. This is one very irritating practice synonymous with anyone that become part of the DeMbare executive which has continued unabated over the years. Who do they think they are? Always abusing the media attention on them to become self appointed spokesmen for other clubs.
Now, to consider that it was because of some ill conceived ideas of registering some of these players with CAF when Dynamos had neither contracts with them nor finalised negotiations with their clubs late last year makes the whole scenario laughable. Towards the end of last year, eager to build a team capable of bringing continental glory home, Dynamos executives were busy submitting details of any player in the local league they thought would appear on the soccer stars calendar, even without talking to the player’s paymasters. As fate would have it, some players didn’t eventually join DeMbare and the team found itself with registered players not on its payroll. That misdemeanour is now back to haunt the club at the time of its most wanting, when they need their best performance to rescue an ailing campaign in the cauldron of Kinshasa.
The issues of player registration and transfers seem to be robotics to almost anyone that has been in charge of the affairs of the Harare giants. The handling of the Cuthbert Malajila transfer from Army side Chapungu being a recent case in point. To an independent observer, it was very clear Chapungu were very patient with Dynamos and looked willing to sit down and talk to DeMbare. However, DeMbare blatantly took advantage of Chapungu’s benevolence, and the player’s desperation to play at the highest level and attract the eventual move to Tunisia. Chapungu on many occasions accused Dynamos of negotiating in bad faith, fielding the player when there had been an agreement that he should not play til negotiations are completed. It only made sense for what will be the point of negotiating if the buying club is already enjoying the services of the player being transferred, and indeed Dynamos were enjoying Malajila’s scoring prowess. At the end of the day Malajila made the move up north, and sadly for Dynamos, no cent came their way, despite them marketing the player at the highest club level in the continent.
In 2003, Dynamos virtually lost the League Championship because of their executive’s abhorrence in using striker Eddie Mufema against the orders of the Premier Soccer League. Mufema, then embroiled in an ownership dispute between DeMbare and Eric Rosen’s Motor Action, played in a game against Lancashire Steel and the team was docked three points, which at the end of the day was the difference between them and eventual winners Amazulu. Such wanton disregard of the rules boggles the mind and leaves wondering whether DeMbare’s leaders consider their team invincible and above the law. Or maybe they are just ignorant of the rules and regulations governing the game the claim to administer.
Currently, midfielder Farai Vimisayi only waits to play for DeMbare in the Champions League as he is barred by his club Hwange from playing in the local league, again as a result of a raging transfer dispute between his former and current paymasters. Hwange, Chapungu and other clubs have insistently complained about DeMbare’s big brother attitude when it comes to negotiating for player transfers. Given, many players would want to don the Blue and White strip of Dynamos, but that shouldn’t give the team from Mbare the green-light to hold other sides at ransom, and negotiate in bad faith. It is very clear that if they were to be charged, Dynamos will be found guilty of palyer tapping at many occasions. And this should make them tantamount to being banned from the transfer market. How does one explain a situation where a player considered AWOL by his club features for another in their continental matches? With a player seeing the lifetime opportunity to play consistently before multitudes and the guarantee of continental football, smaller clubs are always at a loss as their want away players drool over a move to Dynamos. This is what normally results in the awkward Vimisai situation where the player only waits to play a few continental matches while seating out the rest of the season. Its pathetic.
To make matters worse, DeMbare hardly give these players, no matter how desperate they will be to please Vietnam stand, long term contracts. Most of them come for one season loan spells, which at the end of the day benefits the player’s original club as they are the ones that get to pocket the money if the player eventually leaves for a foreign club. This was the case with Malajila and speed merchant Edward “Duduza” Sadomba who moved to Mozambique then Al Hilal of Sudan two seasons ago. It is also reported that DeMbare didn’t benefit from the transfer of four players Ephraim Mazarura, Mtshumayeli Moyo, Phillip Marufu and Carrington Gomba to DRC side FC Lupopo early this year. All these players were on loan to DeMbare and the side simply marketed them to cash rich clubs on the continent who paid the clubs that had longer term contracts with the players.
Having botched enough with player transfers and registration, DeMbare were ready to bite the bait from TP Mazembe, in the form of USD 400,000 donation! Surely, any A level Business Studies student who can define Corporate Governance could easily see through the potential conflict of interest associated with such a dubious offer. But alas, some in the Dynamos executive were already buying tickets to go and negotiate “the deal” with Governor Katumba of Katanga Province. Were they serious?
The level of unprofessionalism at Dynamos can be blamed for the constant lack of financial resources the club faces. It may indeed be too simplistic to say if each of the claimed 7 million supporters donates a dollar each, the club will become a multi-million dollar institution over night, but it is certainly true that the Glamour Boys can easily raise a million dollars from its supporters by either donations or membership fees without much struggle. Why such a scheme will never work currently is simply because the current and past leaderships don’t inspire confidence in the club’s following. There are many who could easily part with their lifetime savings to assist their beloved DeMbare, but with the current circus and that of past years, they would rather wait and see.
Given its following and achievements on the domestic and continental scene, Dynamos shouldn’t be struggling for players, training facilities and finances as it currently does. With a professional executive, visionaries who can see beyond lining up their pockets, Dynamos can be one of the biggest economic players in this country. What with the potential to sell replica shirts or even run Sports shops. Potential DeMbare executives must take a closer look at the developments in Zimbabwean cricket, and learn how franchises, which is basically what Dynamos is, should be run.
To hell with the thought that the team must cease to be a community team to be run professionally. DeMbare stands a better chance to succeed as a community team, than as privately held. Look at Barcelona, possibly the world’s most successful community team. They even refuse shirt sponsorship deals choosing instead to emblazon their jerseys with the UNICEF logo. They still afford to have the world’s most exciting player Lionel Messi in their team. DeMbare can do the same. Many corporates are headed by staunch Dynamos supporters, who would die to have their name even on the sleeves of the famous Blue and White strip. Many companies would pay thousands just to have their names and products associated with the famous team, but only if the controversies that often rear their ugly heads can be kept at a minimum, if not out of the picture totally. The team’s leadership needs to get real, realise that they are running the nation’s most supported team and stop the Mickey Mouse business of borrowing players from rivals, receiving donations from opponents or relying on bully tactics to force smaller teams to let their players play for Dynamos for free.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hotel Elizabeth for the Liberians
So, it was once again the same sad story of mistreatment of the Warriors on their visit to Liberia. Its sad that our beloved Warriors will remember more being booked into a shebeen instead of a hotel, and the blatant poor officiating of a Referee returning from suspension than the heroics they performed in eking out a point away from home.
CAF can really not do much about home town decisions, seeing they are the ugly patch associated with the beautiful game everywhere, but one cant help but be perplexed by the way CAF seems to continue condoning this dodgy idea of booking people into disused hostels and claim to have put them in a hotel. After so many years, and so much filling of complaints to CAF by ZIFA, nothing ever seems to happen. Why? Doesn’t CAF or even FIFA have some sort of basic standards that they require their affiliates to book their visitors into? Please tell me we can’t just be allowed to book George Weah’s boys into Mushandirapamwe Hotel kuFiyo when they come down this side? That may not be such a bad idea please, Mr. Dube?
Zimsoccerfan thinks teams should be docked of points for mistreating their visitors. Its sooo unAfrican for crying out loud. Kwame Nkrumah and other Founding Fathers are turning in their graves when African brothers treat each other like this, all in search of fame at a White men’s invention called football. From seeing the Monrovia pics, you can’t help but advocate for something as outrageous as that. The so called hotel looked more like some Mbare hostel and all the Liberian FA could say is we are sorry, and “no comment”. What a disgrace?
Of course you can see right thru the whole plan: unsettle them, give them substandard food and facilities, no water and electricity for them, let them wine and complain and take their minds off the game then beat them on the day of the game. It’s so abhorrent to then see the same associations commandeering little boys to walk onto the field with a FIFA Fair Play flag before kick off. Fair play is not just on the field. Be ashamed.
This cancer should not be allowed to spread. It has become too synonymous with our game to nauseating proportions. Our biggest fear when playing outside the country, whether at national or club level, is the off the field tactics, not the game plan itself. Come on! Being a veteran of the African continent is more of how many bad treatments you have endured on foreign trips than how many games you actually played. It’s pathetic!
But, having said that, I still feel so proud of my country Zimbabwe. Despite the many years our boys have endured on the continent, never for a moment have our guys at 53 Livingstone thought of something as mischievous as throwing a visiting team into Hotel Elizabeth, or asking them to go train at Number 7 Grounds in Mbare. Those wouldn’t be as bad facilities as the Hotel Provident we saw on TV the other night. Hospitality is our mark as Zimbabweans, and we shouldn’t sacrifice it even for a place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, right?
Lets hear your comments.
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