adminCharles Mabika Sports Correspondent
LAST week’s article in The Herald by my colleague, Bothwell Mahlengwe, about CAPS United’s “adopted sons,” made interesting reading. In his weekly column, he started by ridiculing my recent explanation about why the Green Machine’s hierarchy has, for long, appeared not to give coaching opportunities to their former players, as is the case at their rivals, Dynamos and Highlanders.
In my assertion in that article, I felt there had been a lengthy period of mistrust between Makepekepe’s former players and the club’s successive leaders since its formation in 1973. Mahlengwe totally disagreed with my position and, instead, chose to define “company policy” over these years, making it difficult to absorb these legends into their coaching structures.
To me, this sounds totally ridiculous and far-fetched from my fellow columnist. What “company policy”?
From the original club’s director, Maurice Kramer, via Mufaro Hove, Shepherd Bwanya, Twine Phiri right up to Farai Jere?
Why on earth would they all prevent one of their own from perpetuating their club’s success drive?
I still stick by my original assertion that this mistrust resulted in coaches who had never had links with the club being appointed to steer the cruise control for various periods, albeit with some fruitful dividends, in the cases of league title-winning mentors like the late Ashton “Papa” Nyazika (1979), Steve “The Dude” Kwashi (1996), and most recently Charles “The Lecturer” Mhlauri (2004-5).
Former CAPS United principal owner, Twine Phiri, did give opportunities to the club’s former players like Shacky “Mr Goals” Tauro (late) and Friday “Breakdown” Phiri but it was to no avail.
The “mistrust conspiracy theory” even had stories from the grapevine that claimed some former CAPS United players would celebrate every time the side lost a match because they felt they were discarded by the team’s leadership once they had hung up their boots.
Current principal owner, Jere, who has always had a belief that the CAPS United sons should lead the coaching procession, has decided to try again, after he recently recalled Lloyd “Lodza” Chitembwe to head the technical department.
A lot of the Green Machine’s faithful will be hoping that Chitembwe, the most decorated player at CAPS United, will deliver the league title next season.
The mistrust seems to be now slowly diminishing after Jere offered an olive branch to all the former club’s players to join hands and help the club regain its glory status.
He also tasked the side’s former forward, Alois “Zola” Bunjira, as board member responsible for marketing, to lead this “trust revival mission”.
Mahlengwe further claimed that the likes of Chitembwe, Bunjira, Brenna Msiska and Stewart Murisa were the club’s “adopted sons”.
No, my brother, I totally disagree!
The fact that Chitemwe, Bunjira and Murisa cut their teeth into top-flight football at Darryn T does not make them “adopted sons” of Makepekepe.
The fact that Msiska announced his goalkeeping prowess at Black Aces does not make him an “adopted son” of the Green Machine.
Infact, these guys are as much “natural sons” as veteran midfielder, Ashley Rambanapasi, current assistant coach, Tostao Kwashi, and former ‘keeper, Steven Chisango who started out at CAPS United.
When we talk of someone being a son or legend of a particular club, we define this term because of the household success that he or she reaped in that side’s colours.
If we ignore that fact, we might as well now start defining George “Mastermind” Shaya as an “adopted son” of DeMbare because of his earlier links at St Paul’s Musami.
We might as well start defining Moses Chunga as an “adopted son” of DeMbare because he had earlier links at Lython Wolves and Black Aces.
We might as well start defining Rahman Gumbo as an “adopted son” of Highlanders because he originally burst into prominence playing for now defunct Eagles.
Is Bruce Grobbelaar not a Liverpool legend?
Does the fact that he starred for Salisbury Callies, Chibuku Shumba and Highlanders before he left for England make him an “adopted son” of the Reds? Of course, not!
He is a son of Liverpool because that’s where he achieved phenomenal success, including winning the European Cup in 1984.
Are Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo “adopted sons” of Real Madrid?
Are Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney “adopted sons” of Manchester United?
Is Thierry Henry an “adopted son” of Arsenal?
Is Andres Iniesta an “adopted son” of Barcelona?
The list is endless . . .
I think the most important thing right now is for the former players, former sons of Makepekepe, to heed Jere’s call of unity so that their club can rise and reclaim their high pedestal placing alongside the likes of their perennial rivals like Dynamos, Highlanders, FC Platinum, Chicken Inn and Triangle United.
And, after all, one of them, Chitembwe, has just ended the club’s six-year wait for a league victory at the Colliery and, in two games in charge, his team is yet to concede a goal.
That should be a good starting point.
Online Reporter