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SPECULATION on players’ agents influencing national team selection has been the order of the day in Zimbabwe over the past five years due to questionable player call ups by coaches. Although, such rumours died down with the resignation of the last Warriors coach Ian Gorowa, revelations that current Zimbabwe Warriors coach Calisto Pasuwa’s agent was Gibson Mahachi have rekindled questions over what influence the latter could have in the future of national team selections.
Several football practitioners questioned the relationship between player agent Mahachi and Pasuwa stopping short of calling it, unethical and that the union might could prove detrimental to the cause of our national teams.
A player agent who declined to be named said there was conflict of interest when a player agent represents a national team coach as the former would want some of his footballers to earn enough caps to make them marketable.
“Remember in some leagues particularly in Europe for a team to sign a foreign footballer, that player needs to have earned a number of caps. When the player agent wants to make the player attractive he can use his influence to ensure he has the right number of caps,” said the player agent.
Footballers Union of Zimbabwe secretary general Paul Gundani echoed his (player agent) sentiments saying the relationship between Pasuwa and Mahachi was improper adding that coaches should have their own managers who were not player agents.
Gundani said in such relationship professionalism was always compromised.
“Players could be called up unfairly while other deserving players are not called up. If one represents a coach they are likely to use that coach to shift players to his team and we have seen that happening before but at national team level I think it’s something we should not tolerate,” said Gundani.
Former Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede buttressed Gundani’s sentiment saying the Pasuwa-Mahachi relationship was an “unholy alliance”.
Gumede said a player earns a cap by simply being part of the 18 players in the team hence a coach can call up a player even if he would not play a role in the game.
“Giving a player a cap can be easily manipulated because he does not even have to feature in the game. Zifa should not condone the relationship because it could haunt them in the future. It is a sensitive thing and we have experienced it before with many accusations of player agents influencing national team selection,” said Gumede, who is now Highlanders Football Club chief executive officer.
During the 2014 Chan tourney in South Africa player agents had unfettered access to the Warriors camp leading to accusations that Gorowa was working in cahoots with the footballers’ representatives.
However, Zifa, Pasuwa and Mahachi defended the relationship saying it was professional.
Pasuwa and Mahachi said they would not do anything to impact negatively on the former Dynamos gaffer’s standing as Warriors coach.
“I cannot allow him (Mahachi) to influence me because that can lead to me losing my job and spoiling my CV, why would I want to do that? I would not allow him and he knows it, it’s something we discussed before and we are both on the same page,’’ said Pasuwa.
“I want a winning formula and I won’t change it to suit someone’s will.”
Mahachi said he was professional in his dealings and would never influence Pasuwa.
“I don’t think Pasuwa would love it if he loses his job because I asked him to do me a favour and select my players for national duty. I am professional, it is the norm world over for coaches to be represented by player agents,” he said.
Pasuwa added that team selection was not solely done by him but it was a collective effort, a view that was reiterated by Zifa spokesman, Xolisani Gwesela.
“Mahachi is one of the most competent player representatives and in his dealings he has shown to be professional and the same can be said of Pasuwa, we fully trust them,” he said.
Some have, however, questioned why Pasuwa has not selected any player from one of the best playing teams in the league, Triangle for today’s encounter against Comoros in the first leg of the Chan qualifiers.
A football administrator who declined to be named said the recent move of Colombian international, Falcao to English side, Chelsea was a clear sign of the influence player agents have on coaches as Jorge Mendes represents both the player and Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho.
“If Mendes was not Mourinho’s rep I doubt Falcao would have been accepted at Chelsea,” said the administrator.
Online Reporter