Are men from the east no longer wise?

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MEN from the east are generally associated with wisdom, especially in Biblical terms, but the same cannot be said about football teams from the region in the 2025 Castle Lager Premiership League.
As the season takes a break to international assignments this weekend, Bikita Minerals, GreenFuel FC, Manica Diamonds and Triangle – the four clubs with an Eastern Region umbilical cord – are head and shoulder deep into the relegation zone of the Castle Lager Premiership MatchDay 27 log table.
Ironically, all the four Eastern Region representatives in the top-flight league cannot complain about lack of resources as they are, not only corporate owned, but well financed.
Bikita Minerals is owned by lithium mining concern – Bikita Minerals; GreenFuel FC is owned by ethanol producing concern, GreenFuel; Manica Diamonds is bankrolled by diamond mining concern, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), while Triangle FC is a corporate social responsibility project owned by Tongaat Hullet.
Former Eastern Lions, Buffaloes, Masvingo United and Highway midfield workaholic, Nisbert Tustirai Zvakare, who particularly follows Manica Diamonds matches with passion, told Post Sport that leadership renewal is needed at most clubs from the region.
“Something is terribly wrong with football in the region. If you look at Manica Diamonds, for example, there are people who think they are anointed to have key roles in football clubs in Mutare.
“That is not it. Some of them have failed in so many clubs. Look at how they brought Kuda Mahachi. People just hear that there is
Mahachi, and they sign him. What has he brought to the club? Nothing! There is need for leadership renewal at administration level to start with for most of the clubs in the Eastern Region,” he said.
Zvakare also blamed the players’ attitude towards their work.
“Fitness levels is worrisome at Manica Diamonds. When we were at Eastern Lions, we used to train twice a day, we used to win matches in the second half because we had the stay power and endurance. Now you look at how Manica Diamonds have been dropping points after taking a lead in the first half, and only to settle for a draw or defeat in the second half,” he said.
He did not spare the coaches.
“The quality of the coaches is mediocre. Recycling of old players is what they are good at. Although most teams in other parts of the country are taking the same coaches, that does mean it is right. We all saw poor team selection based on bribery and favouritism, and the club took too long to react.
“It was shocking for Manica Diamonds to dismantle a team that ended on second position the previous season. And when you look at how they went on to sign new players, it was as if they picked them from a beerhall. They took mediocre players and released the cream they had,” said Zvakare.
He added: “Even beliefs in football need to be aligned as a team. Some think football is won scientifically, others traditionally or both.
Therefore, there should not be conflict of interest. A team must pull in one direction.
“There is also no unity of purpose. Community interference is bad for a team, especially by personalities, who think they should be in the administration of the team. We have seen supporters influencing team selection and even administrators. That is bad for the team.
“There is also lack of sports psychological mentoring on both players and coaches. You invest in sports if you want results. Let them look for qualified personnel for these tasks. Money is going to the wrong
people. How can one be named fitness trainer when they do not have relevant
qualifications? Just to make player run up and down all day?
“Most of the teams in the region have good sponsorship. We only need people who are good in a given field to be given the right jobs within administration and technical departments of these teams. We have individuals who do not fit in positions that they are holding in most of the clubs from the region.
“Lastly, players should be professional. They must focus on their work and leave drugs and alcohol. We are not saying alcohol is prohibited, but a professional player should go an extra mile on fitness.
During our days, we would wake up early and go on a road run at Hilltop or even on stadium terraces.”
Mutare-born Highlanders legend, Blessing Gumiso said: “Personally, I think we are not giving our best as Mutare teams and football leadership to gather talent from within, and blend with talent from other places in Zimbabwe. I remember when I joined Bosso, most players we from within, I mean best players and a few additions from other places. When I joined Bosso, it was only myself and the late Amon Chimbalanga in that team that was coached by the late Rahman Gumbo.
“They had a culture which they used to follow. Look, Bosso is also struggling because they are no longer following their tradition of developing their best players from within. We went on to win four league championships.
Look at the Buffalos team that had the likes of Edmore ‘Man’ozho’ Dube, Edmore Nyika, Danani Chinowawa, Nyarai Masunda and others.
“I am not saying we must not include outsiders, no! I am saying, let us add to our core with good players from other places. When l played for Bosso, we went for a number of games without being paid winning bonuses, and our manager the late Earnest Mapepa would preach every day that guys keep on winning so that we have big crowds, and when big crowds come, we are going to get paid.
“Surely, we kept on winning and we started getting paid. Let us build a culture of believing in local players first, then we add good players from other places.
“Most Mutare teams sign players who come to get money and disappear after relegation. The locals will be called to play so that the teams get promotion and once promoted, the system comes back.
“Look at players who came from Mutare, Shepherd Muradzikwa, Eddie Dube, myself, the late Blessing Makunike, Makukutu brothers, Joseph Takaringofa, Clemence Mkudu, Lazarus Muhoni, Nelson Bandura, and Ian Matondo, who captained the national Under 23 team, where he was captain to Peter Ndlovu. This is evidence that we are capable of producing talented players.”