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Mutare’s sole Premiership representatives City Rovers got off to a false start in their maiden campaign, losing 0-3 to fellow newcomers Ngezi Platinum Stars at Sakubva on Sunday and there emerged several talking points from that match.
Many a local following of the club feel that, on the whole, the team is not convincing in man aspects of its setup.
While it is still early to talk about how City Rovers’ season may pan out, there is no denying that there were a lot of glaring shortcomings which exposed the team overall.
The team, in spite of several players with previous Premiership experience turning out for them on the day, appeared overwhelmed by the occasion and, thus, gave an underwhelming performance that only fuelled the doubts that many pessimists have about they will hold their own in the top-flight league.
It is true that one game does not make a season in football, but then it is several bad games like the one City Rovers had last weekend that could spell disaster in the end. It was always imperative that GushaBhora put in a workmanlike shift into their season opener so they hit the ground running from the beginning. Losing 0-3 at home, which leaves them as one of the weekend’s four biggest losers, is not an ideal start to life in the Premiership because it is always difficult on the road.
That the team’s coach Kenny “Bokande” Kachara flatly refused to entertain journalists for post-match interviews and would give no comment clearly paints a picture of a man at a loss of word and ideas with Sunday’s drubbing.
Getting monkey off the back
The Premiership race is always run over a rugged terrain and the sooner City Rovers realise this, the better it would be for them. Traditionally, novices playing their first ever season in the local top-tier league have always found the going tough and at the end the campaign has never been kind to them. Only last season, Tsholotsho had the distinction of surviving their maiden Premiership dance among the four promoted, while Dongo Sawmills, Whawha and Flame Lilly shared the ignominy of lasting only a single season after promotion and were immediately demoted back to the unfashionable Division One league.
It is against this unenviable background that GushaBhora should have grabbed their season opener by the scruff of its neck and got the monkey off their back. The first cut is the deepest, they say, and so should Kachara’s charges have made the most of this fixture.
The last thing Mutare’s football community would want is a brief Premiership flirtation for City Rovers.
To Bokande and his charges, this is it – welcome to the big boys’ league and doing business requires a better show than that put up at Sakubva last weekend. Mutare fans will be keenly following the team’s progress over the course of this season.
It is equally important, however, that the fans also do not put too much pressure on the club to avoid burdening the team down with a huge weight of expectation. City Rovers deserve all the support that they can get from all stakeholders – from the fans to the corporate world – but they have to earn it on merit with encouraging performances.
Continued support for the club is, therefore, called for. We cannot afford to put off the team at this stage of the season with scathing criticism.
That ball, however, remains City Rovers’ to play and score.
Keep your aide on the leash, Mr Mayor!
A scuffle involving an agitated fan and an aide to the city’s mayor, who is also the patron of the team, in the stadium’s VIP enclosure was as embarrassing as it was unnecessary. One Kingy, an aide to Mutare mayor Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare, menacingly charged towards one Zecks, a fan who was vocally registering his displeasure and disappointment in the team’s poor performance in a rant, threatening to beat him up. For Kingy to show such uncouth character before the city’s mayor and team’s patron is deplorable and only taints the person of Clr Nhamarare while also giving a bad name to the game.
Granted, many people were upset with the result and would vent their frustration, but Kingy should have behaved better, at least diplomatically, as befitting a city mayor’s aide.
Premiership race is on…
Here are a few talking points from the 2016 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season opening week:
Mutare-born midfielder and Warriors trialist Pasca Manhanga enjoyed the distinction of being the first player to hit the nets in the campaign when his 34th opener helped his new side How Mine to a 2-2 draw against newcomers Bulawayo City last Friday
Reigning Coach-of-the-Year Joey “Mafero” Antipas appears to be the star of the week when he led title holders Chicken Inn to 3-0 victory over former champions Dynamos
The 3-0 scoreline was the most common, with the Gamecocks, CAPS United, Highlanders and Ngezi Platinum Stars all winning by that margin
There was only one drawn match (How Mine 2-2 Bulawayo City), while five (Chicken Inn, CAPS United, FC Platinum, ZPC Kariba and Triangle) teams collected maximum points at home and three (Highlanders, Ngezi Platinum and Bulawayo City) avoided away defeats
Pasuwa, Warriors get it right
While several pessimists thought that drawing away in Mbabane was a disaster, Kallisto Pasuwa and his charges made amends by walloping Swaziland at home. Sihlangu are no pushovers and that they once topped the table and beat Guinea away from home proves their pedigree.
Pasuwa had a clear game plan when we visited Swaziland and a draw was ideal given how tricky customers they are, hence the justification to play with two defensive linkmen in captain Willard Katsande and Danny Phiri. For the return match, the Warriors evidently showed that they wanted it more, with Pasuwa playing his cards very well to give starting berths to attack-minded players like Marvel Nakamaba and Kuda Mahachi as well as the roving Hardlife Zvirekwi and it paid off handsomely for the gaffer. We still have a huge chance to make it to Gabon next year and are surely in this to win it.
Zizou’s Real positive influence
French legend and World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane became the first manager not to lose his opening El Classico fixture in charge since Bernd Schuster in the 2007-08 season. All five previous Real Madrid managers (Jaunde Ramos, 0-2; Manuel Pellegrini 0-1; Jose Mourinho 0-5; Carlo Ancelotti 1-2; Rafael Benitez 0-4) had lost their first El Classico.Zidane is also enjoying the best start among the previous five managers with his first 15 matches in charge.
Another interesting aspect from last weekend’s El Classico is that Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in four of his last five appearances against Barcelona in all competitions (four goals), while Lionel Messi has not scored in his last five in a row against Real Madrid; his worst run.
The Hurri-Cane
Tottenham and England net-buster Harry Kane has set a new Spurs scoring record when he made history by becoming the Londoners’ first player in the Premier League era to score 22 goals in a single season when he buried the equaliser in a 1-1 away to Liverpool last Saturday. The club’s previous record, now overtaken by Kane, was held by Gareth Bale and Ted Sheringham, who both had 21.
Man U’s home Century delight
The Red Devils became the first Premier League team to score 1 000 goals at home, with Antonie Martial’s second half strike in a 1-0 win against Everton on Sunday helping the Old Trafford side reach that milestone.
Captain Wayne Rooney has scored 99 of those goals.
While Manchester United have scored the highest goals at home, Arsenal (916) and Chelsea (896) follow behind.
It’s Game On, Play On!
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