Be very, very afraid!

Off the ball with Limukani Ncube
BANTU Rovers will not be part of the Premiership this season, unless the club finds another willing partner to go to bed with and return to the topflight after being relegated last season.

The Bulawayo side, a project led by former Highlanders and national team midfielder Methembe “Mayor” Ndlovu, our own version of Jomo Sono, failed to hold fort and got demoted last season, but fans will remember the team for the beautiful football they displayed, especially in the second half of the season.

It was evident then that Mayor’s boys had become used to the big league, matured and stubborn to beat, and the lesson from their performance was that had they had a number of quality veterans to help them avoid losses in the opening stages of the season, they would have managed to survive relegation. Admittedly, there is nothing as absorbing as watching youngsters express themselves on the field of play, but there is always a problem when it comes to getting results when the going gets tough.

But once again, Mayor should be applauded for giving youngsters a platform to showcase their talents, especially in this very difficult league, where every point counts, judging by how close the fight for the title was until the last day of the season, and how close the fight to avoid the chop was until the last whistle of the season. If you doubt every point counts, ask Highlanders, ask FC Platinum. Had Bosso got an extra point in 2012 and 2013, they would have been crowned champions, and the same applies to FC Platinum in 2011.

Am I making sense? Am I telling new Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu “something for nothing”, as a colleague would say? I suppose.

On the contrary to the Bantu approach, the reason why another team from this region managed to avoid the chop in the last two years was because they went for experience, and that is How Mine.

The gold miners went for veterans who have seen it all in the league, the likes of Gilbert Banda, George Magariro, Kuda Musharu, Ephraim Mazarura, Brighton Dube, Menard Mupera and Timothy January, among others, and they managed to stand their ground home and away, and in fact, they went blow for blow with the country’s traditional giants, Highlanders and Dynamos, giving fans contests worth every cent.

After forcing their way into the club of big boys in the domestic league, the gold miners, now under Luke Masomere, seem determined to continue raising the bar. They have shown their intent in the transfer market, snatching the likes of experienced goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, who was a darling at Highlanders in the last two years, Caps United captain Tapuwa Kumbuyani and getting back former Dynamos and FC Platinum winger Benjamin Marere, 2013 soccer star of the year Tawanda Muparati as well as Leftara Ndale from Masvingo.

They appear to be eager to get more names to their side, with rumours saying out of contract Highlanders striker Charles Sibanda is in talks with them, and Masomere, a self-proclaimed doctor of Zimbabwean football, is on record as saying he wants to sign four more players. If I was in charge of a Premiership team I would be very, very afraid. What is Masomere up to?

What is Alpha Matumbura and his fellow executive members up to? After representing the country in the African safari after just one season, they made history, just like FC Platinum, but it appears they are still hungry for more.

“By Sunday I think we will be having our full 2015 squad. We signed Diya, Leftara, Marere and Tawanda and we’re still pursuing four more players. We still need three defenders and any good player,” said outspoken Masomere in an interview with our sister paper, B-Metro.

Of course, what Masomere is doing now is getting players, big name players for that matter, and then the big job will be to make them a team. So in theory, signing big names does not guarantee winning trophies, and FC Platinum are a living example, but no one can doubt that the big name players they put together changed the complexion of the local league and catapulted the club to the top in no time.

What Bosso fans said

A couple of weeks ago, this column touched on the goings on at Highlanders, especially regarding the perceived two centres of power, the board and the executive. This was after word was out that the board was exerting itself in some key decisions and key moments for the club, at times shooting down ideas from the executive, which is primarily in charge of the day to day running of the club and results on the field of play.

The article generated a lot of interest and feedback came via different platforms, and even from members of the board and executive. You then get a feeling that there is a general consensus that there is something not clear when it comes to roles of the two bodies, and one hopes those with the powers to iron out such issues will find it worthwhile to dedicate some time to it. Here is what some followers of the blog said.

“You were spot on concerning the confusion at our beloved Highlanders. The issue of duties and responsibilities needs to be spelt out clearly to avoid interference. This was so in the previous technical team appointed by this current executive. There was no difference in roles between the technical team and manager whose role is to take statistics on goals scored, scorers, kit management, player licences and cards. This should be avoided at all costs for this institution to get back to its rightful place. The issue of the board overriding the executive’s decision spells the doom to follow. The executive is blamed for poor results because we believe they chose the coach but we can’t blame the board which decided to impose on the executive. If the board recommends and the executive says no, then its decision should be adopted because by the end of the day they (executive) endure the insults should things go wrong. As you put it it’s now time to march forward as a machine complementing one another. You know what brother, I have suffered enough to endure another misery. Staying in Harare and working daily with people who mock by greeting you saying “Good morning Mantengwane” after a loss is unbearable. I hope Mafu will deliver and no interference is to be experienced.” – Ndou Lawrence.

“Hi limukani, Like VP (Phelekezela) Mphoko, Mafu may not be known by many of us but his qualifications prove that he has passion for the game and I see him as a future Warriors coach. He is a teacher who I think exudes lots of professionalism. His blood runs football but he has to get the winning formula for the club for all to believe in him.” – Kenny Chisale.

Enjoy your weekend.