‘Better players are left out’

YESTERYEAR great Chris Mhlanga says national team call ups in the past were on merit as the selection process was transparent.

A former Rhodesia trialist for the 1969 side that lost to Australia for a berth in the Brazil held World Cup finals, Mhlanga believes better players are left out.

Mhlanga said in the past there was a panel that was known that was tasked with that. The panel he said worked within the provinces and regions and made recommendations to national team coaches resulting in either Rhodesia A and Rhodesia B.

He said at times there were North and Southern Region Select squads put into action. Players had to prove themselves  on the pitch and earn their ticket to the national team.

“During our days the national team was a preserve for the best. We all worked hard to impress so that we could make the grade among the top 18 players in the country so that we got call ups.

“It was an honour just being called up for training with the cream of the Rhodesia National Football League. We played for the fans and the badges of our clubs and of course we had the passion to play the game.

“There were no agents influencing things for players, I earned call ups by scoring goals against the best,” said the ever-cheerful legend.

Mhlanga who became the first ex-footballer to earn civic honours in Bulawayo, said by going the regional or provincial route coaches were spreading their wings to attract more talent. It also enabled the coaches to have a long wish list to monitor over time.

“In the times we live in now, you start having provincial squads from the age of 11 and under. If that is done per province and they clash with others and get exposed to regular camps, it means countrywide you have over 250 Under-11s that you are developing for the future. Through natural attrition others will drop out and there shall be new discoveries to add on to as the boys grow up,” said Mhlanga.

In the past he said the city sports departments and mines’ sports officers kept a list of age group stars and were handy in assisting national team coaches assemble squads.

Mhlanga played for Nimfa Rovers, Dynamos, Rufaro Rovers, Highlanders and Eastlands as a striker. He claims to hold a record of the highest number of headed goals in a match.

He says it was in the 1960s against a team from Mutare.

Deadly in front of goal, Mhlanga was good with long distant volleys that left many great goalkeepers like Ananias Dube, Booker Muchenu and William Chirwa clutching thin air.

At one time journalists compared his volleys to those of Bobby Charlton the English football hero who was part of the 1966 World Cup winning side.

It was usual to read that: “Chris Mhlanga bagged another Bobby Charlton volley to lead his side to victory.”
He said the trick was working hard and discipline.

Talking about discipline, he recalls how he missed out on the team that played Australia in 1969.

“We sneaked out with Stephen ‘Fakasimbi’ Chimedza and George Shaya to have a quick drink. I must have taken one too many and the guys rushed back to camp and I was kicked out for that incident and that affected my chances and perhaps since I was a striker my presence could have made the difference,” said Mhlanga.

He would have competed against the likes of Gibson Homela, Itai Chieza and Shaya for a starting berth.

Mhlanga believes reliance on overseas based players most of whom are just called up with no present form or statistics to leverage them is not a good idea.

“The national team is not a marketing platform. No one must get caps to add to his curriculum vitae. There is no ways you call a player from US or Europe and you do not use him, its expensive and it frustrates the budding player back home,” said Mhlanga.

He said the Regional Selects’ best players must be given an equal opportunity to play the standing national team or the foreign based stars like the PSL Select that played the Warriors in a match that Reinhard Fabisch used to test Moses Chunga’s potency.

“When the selected players face the so-called professionals, both will up their game and you pray on a non-biased selection panel coming up with the best players.

“A good player is a good player regardless of what the coaches may try to hide behind as coaching philosophy,” said Mhlanga.

Mhlanga said former players should never be overlooked in appointments from provincial, regional and up to national teams.

“We have played the game, we learnt so much from it and our exposure and travels have made us wiser. We have a role to play in administration even as advisers or selection panel members. Because we played the game when it was all about passion, it still has not changed, we were not in it for get rich quickly deals but for the genuineness of the game,” said Mhlanga.

Mhlanga said in the 1980s national coaches went around the country scouting for talent.

He said they also took advantage of national age group tournaments such as the Bonar Industries, Chibuku Trophy (Under-14s), Castle Cup (Under-16s), Manica Freight and Coca-Cola Under-18 inter-provincial championships.

Mhlanga said players grew up from one age group to the other knowing who the hottest peers around the country were.

Coaches with a vested interest in junior development like former Bantu Rovers and Highlanders FC Dumaza Dube would keep tabs on the players.