adminA FORMER girlfriend of mine used to go gaga about Norman Mapeza; he was her everyday man crush. She would pretend to go jogging along Folyjon Crescent in Harare’s Borrowdale Brooke just to get a glimpse of Mapeza as went though his morning run. That really pissed me off! But hey, what happened happened and we have both moved on.
However, last week I couldn’t help but get in touch with her to land one last jab. I sent a soft copy of one of the pictures that The Sunday Mail Sport used on its back page last Sunday.
“Just how cute does he look now? Kikiki,” reads the message I sent. “Nxaaa,” was the reply. I knew the message had got home and smiled.
Dear reader, there was everything ugly about the way the FC Platinum coach behaved at Rufaro after his team’s 1-2 defeat to Harare City.
We all know that defeat is hard to take but for Mapeza to act like someone high on a lethal combination of palm wine and kachasu was uncalled for.
It was inexcusable behaviour from a man we expect to know better, having famously played in the Uefa Champions League and also captained the Warriors.
Mapeza poured barrels of vitriol on everyone who was within earshot and made serious allegations that have caused so much unease at Mimosa Mine. His bosses are not sure how to handle the situation as there is a fear that any reprimand will disturb FC Platinum’s charge towards a maiden league title.
But what excuse can Premier Soccer League chairman Peter Dube and his team have for feigning ignorance, pretending that nothing unusual happened at Rufaro last weekend?
It’s astounding that the PSL is deafeningly silent more than a week after Mapeza dragged the top flight league and its sponsors through the mud.
Yet this whole affair was covered extensively in the media, yet PSL employee Rodwell Thabe also received his fair share of Mapeza madness and we hear nothing from them.
The league has a duty to safeguard the interest of the league sponsor. Who is in charge of their communications?
Dube has his own way of doing things, a wrong way.
Under his stewardship, the PSL has become a reactionary organisation; they wait for a public lashing before taking action that should come naturally to them.
The PSL might be playing dull, and his employers might be stuck in a catch-22 situation, but Mapeza needs to be told that he cannot bully everyone all the time.
One of the lines he uses when he tries to ride roughshod over everyone is “I played football in Europe, I know these things”.
That’s just lame, dude.
If he really knew these things, Mapeza would have been the first to admit that Gerald Takwara deserved the red card he got against the Sunshine Boys.
If he really knew these things, Mapeza would appreciate that his antics send the wrong message to his players at such a critical time of the season.
If he really knew these things, he would simply admit he got it wrong, perhaps in the heat of the monent, and apologise.
When they watch their gaffer going ballistic after defeat, skipper Petroes Mhari and his lieutenants may be inclined to believe that everything is lost hence their coach getting into panic mode.
No man or woman should be allowed to act in the manner in which Norman Mapeza did at Rufaro last Saturday. It’s just not on, man.
Sir exits the scene!
Sir is social media commentator and writes this satirical column in his personal capacity. Feedback: [email protected]
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