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Livingstone Avenue – itself, ironically, a prime source of the negativity that has always dominated Zimbabwean football.
The refreshing tale, in a depressing seven days in which both Dynamos and CAPS United axed their coaches and appointed their former sons in an endless search for salvation, came from Zifa – itself, ironically, a perennial fertile source of the bad and ugly of Zimbabwean football.
The rainbow, in a week dominated by a dark cloud that hung ominously with both Lloyd Mutasa and Maxwell Takaendesa Jongwe being fired from DeMbare and Makepekepe, was provided by the men and women from Zifa House.
Yes, against all odds, it was the men and women we gave a mandate to manage our football affairs, last year in March on an initial four-year programme, who provided the light that illuminated a week of darkness in which domestic football shook from one crisis to another.
As much as some of you might find this hard to believe, I have to take a bow to the Zifa board this week for their wisdom to organise a real friendly international for the Warriors on a date reserved by Fifa for such an honourable exercise.
The August international friendly date might be unpopular with players, managers and clubs, and understandably so, and chances are that this could be the last time we see Fifa reserving a day, during this month, for national teams to organise friendlies.
The arguments against the friendly matches in August make sense because, a week before major leagues in Europe – who control most of the frontline players in world football – open their stadiums for a new season, it certainly doesn’t make sense having a Wednesday international break for the players.
Some of the players, like our own Knowledge Musona, would have moved clubs and made a big break and, certainly, need time to settle in their new environment and it clearly doesn’t make sense to summon them 10 000km to play a Wednesday international friendly.
Others, like our own Gilbert Mapemba, might have moved closer to home – just a one-and-half-hour flight in Johannesburg, but still you get a feeling that they also need time to settle down in their new
environment and, as largely predicted, Norman Mapeza did not summon him back home for national duty.
So, given the likely absence of some of the key players in many national teams, the August international friendly has lost some of its significance and provoked fierce resistance from coaches, clubs and the players themselves.
You can also understand the players’ arguments, they would have spent time on holiday, put on a few kilos obviously, and have moved into the mood for pre-season, which means their focus is clearly on getting themselves into shape for their club assignments.
So many things happen during the off-season, coaches come and go, targets are revised, new guys come in while others leave, and all that plays on the players’ minds and, you understand their argument, when they say that August should be reserved for their club commitments.
But, in the event that Wednesday was the last time we will ever see a Fifa friendly international day reserved for August, then you have to say that – from a local perspective – the world football governing body should be thanked for keeping it on the radar for one last time this year.
For, against all odds, Zifa finally managed to serve us a real friendly international in which we flew in players from Europe, Sudan and South Africa and we played against a very strong Zambian team that brought Rainsford Kalaba, Given Singuluma, Sunzu, Kennedy Mweene and Collins Mbesuma.
You have to give it to Cuthbert Dube, the Zifa president, and his lieutenants, including Ndumiso Gumede who was the head of the local football family at Rufaro on Wednesday night, for playing their cards right and organising such a worthy friendly international.
Clearly, it’s a game that will come at a huge cost for Zifa, whose finances are already in tatters and badly need an injection to help them foot their operations, but it worth every penny that will be added to their mountain of debt and, the mere fact that they pulled it off, was a grand achievement on its own.
The Zifa board have had their challenges in the past year and their army of critics have jumped at every opportunity to suggest that the only thing that has possibly changed at 53 Livingstone Avenue are the characters, rather than the characteristics, with the game still being managed in a very questionable way.
It comes with the terrain and, if you are running a game as public and as easy as football where everyone is an expert, such brutal criticism should not only be expected but should also be dealt with so that it can be used to help in improving the administration of a game that is laced with so much emotion.
Yes, Dube and his team have had their challenges and, crucially, there were long periods where there was clear proof the association had been split into two organisations that were being run on a parallel lines, with divisions there for everyone to see and judge as the association staggered from one crisis to the other.
But, to their credit, they have weathered the storm and, refreshingly, seem to have found the heart to realise that it’s in their unity where their main strength lies and we have moved from the darkness where we kept getting contrasting messages from the association on key policy issues.
Dube has, not only stamped his authority – which was key – but also, emerged from it all with a lot of credit given his sacrifices for not only the association but the nation in general and the Warriors and the Mighty Warriors have emerged from it with a spring in their step.
Some time last year, as the confusion over the national coach and the controversy that it generated reached fever pitch, I had a fair share of my vocal critics who targeted me for having seemingly supported Cuthbert Dube in his bid to win the Zifa presidency and, in the process, played a part in swaying it in his favour.
Refreshingly, I have just watched from a distance as Dube made his mark and helped silence some of the critics and you can feel that football, slowly, is moving in the right direction and, crucially, the face of the domestic game – the Warriors and the Mighty Warriors – have both seized on the momentum and moved on.
When you have the Migthy Warriors spending two weeks in Germany, at a training camp as they prepare for the All-Africa Games where they will come in as the champions of Southern Africa, then you know there is a breath of fresh air blowing across the national game.
When you have the Warriors playing a tough friendly international against bitter rivals Zambia, under the floodlights at Rufaro and with the match live on national television, then you can feel the cool breeze that is blowing across the national game.
In March last year, I called it Hurricane Dube, and it became a target of criticism when others felt that the Harare business executive was certainly a poor choice for the leadership of Zifa.
Now, 17 months later, I’m pretty sure there are millions of genuine Zimbabwean football fans who have felt the full impact of Hurricane Dube and, crucially, do not want all the positive things that have happened to be the end but, rather, the beginning of a trip to the Promised Land. Yes, for that big match on Wednesday, thank you Zifa for getting it right and that goes not only to Dube but to all the members of the board, Gumede, Kenny Marange, Elliot Kasu, Benedict Moyo, Gift Banda, Solomon Mugavazi, Patrick Hokonya, Fungai Chihuri, Twine Phiri and Mavis Gumbo.
When the fans rose after the match to salute Norman Mapeza, Method Mwanjali and their troops, they were also saluting you for providing them with this grand opportunity to also cheer their team, without the pressures of a winner-take-all match situation, like has always been the case in the past.
Fans need time to bond with their players, especially the national team players given that the majority of them – in our situation – only play on home soil about twice a year and our memories of their performances are mostly fashioned from their exploits in their club colours.
Coaches also need time to see how players react, when they are not in the pressure cooker of the winner-take-it-all situation, and that is why a match like the one on Wednesday night was very important not only for Mapeza but for the players and the their fans.
There Is A Star In This Khamaldinho
No sooner had the game against the Zambians ended, 2-0 in our favour by the way, that I posted something on my Facebook wall saying how Khama Billiat had impressed me that night.
For a player who has lived under the shadow of Musona, from his time at the now famous Aces Youth Academy, their time in the Young Warriors to their time in South Africa, it was good to see Khama take centre stage for once and, boy oh boy, he did a great job of it all.
The records will show that he scored his first goal for his country in that match against the Zambians, taking it superbly after having drifted into the middle of the penalty area as the attack gathered momentum down the right flank, and – if you watch the replays closely, you will see that he even had the dexterity of fooling the ‘keeper.
As the ball came in from the right, after a lovely drawback by Quincy Antipas, it eluded Edward Sadomba and it could have been a chance wasted had Khama not had the presence of mind, which does not come from any coaching manuals but is something that is in-born, to drift into the island in that area.
He was supposed to be playing down the left channel and how he escaped his marker, as the Zimbabwe attack gathered pace down the other wing, was testimony of his all-round attacking qualities and, as the ball came in, he was completely unmarked.
It’s artistic to do that, especially for the flank players, to know when is the right moment to move into the killer zone, to support that attack while moving away from your channel, to assume the position that is supposed to be taken by the centre striker and to anticipate that this might be the right position to take.
To still retain composure, to make the decision to fool the ‘keeper as if you are shooting to your left when you are going the other way, with all that pressure from the expectant crowd, to strike it so beautifully the way he did, while without the benefit of having a dead ball, was all magical and you have to give Khama his credit.
But his show on Wednesday night was not all about that goal.
It was all about class, the great first touch, the deceptive movement, the incredible strength for a man that small in frame, the good balance, the vision that made him pick out his teammates now and again without fail, the passion to drive his team forward and, critically, the heart to assume the starring role.
He knew Knowledge was not around and the spotlight would be on him after he turned on the style in the Nations Cup qualifier against Mali, without being rewarded with a goal, and he didn’t let that pressure overwhelm him on a night he walked into the hearts of thousands of more fans.
The Zambians, just like the Malians, committed the mistake of judging him by his frame and by the time they realised that the dynamite in the small package was explosive, the game had long been won by the boys from the south of the Zambezi.
There is magic in this boy and, hopefully, he keeps his feet on the ground because he is going through a very important part of his career and, if he continues to develop at this rate, he could be in Europe quicker than we all think.
When Mapeza appeared on Soccer Africa on SuperSport, shortly after his team had beaten Mali 2-1 at Rufaro, he was asked by Thomas Kwenaite what the secret behind Zimbabwe’s ability to continuously produce quality young footballers who keep taking the South African Premiership by storm was.
Kwenaite, a journalist who has turned himself into one of the most respectable football analysts on the continent, could not understand how Zimbabwe, as poor as we are, could be beating rich South Africa in the production of quality fresh football talent.
TK, as his friends call him, wanted to know how a Rainbow Nation of 40 plus million black people, who are all obsessed with the game called football, could be dwarfed by a small nation of about 13 million people when it comes to producing fresh football talent.
Certainly not with all the facilities in South Africa, the money that runs the game, the sponsors who are falling over each other to be partners of the game, the coaches who leave Spain and all the European countries for a share of El-Dorado, you name it.
So what was the secret?
Mapeza took his time, to answer a very difficult question, and when he had composed himself, said the answer lied in two parts – the dedication of the unsung heroes who do all the dirty work in schools teaching these boys the basics and natural talent that flows easily just the way water does in the mighty Zambezi.
He should have said Limpopo, because that’s the river closer to his studio colleagues.
Mapeza was right that there are a lot of unsung heroes who work tirelessly in this country to shape this talent and, two decades after Ali “Baba” Dube revolutionised it in the City Kings by unearthing a genius called Peter Ndlovu, we have hundreds of men who are working on the frontline every day.
One of those people is Swiss coach Marc Duvillard whose Aces Youth Academy has become a big feature of our football and, in working on his project, he has shown that you don’t need to be in the headlines every day to contribute to the game.
Khamaldinho reminds me a lot of Peter Ndlovu – the build, the deception, the good control and while King Peter, at 20, had made a bigger mark, this boy is certainly developing rapidly and last Friday, in the first game of the official South African season, he scored twice as Ajax Cape Town hammered SuperSport United 5-2 in the MTN 8.
He also scored on the final day of the season for his club and, when you add his goal against Zambia, that’s four goals in his last four competitive matches for both club and country.
Let’s keep a close eye on this boy and, just in case you doubt his talent, it runs in the family and his late uncle, Cheche Billiat, was a midfielder of note for CAPS United.
What Do The Fans Say About Khama, The Warriors And Wednesday Night?
So, when I posted that Khama piece on my Facebook wall on Wednesday night, where I talked about how diminutive men like Khamaldinho, Sanchez, Iniesta and Messi were becoming dominant in world football, I followed up on the feedback and I found out that it made very interesting reading.
Farai Hwerekwere: But guys tell me, kana kuti Bla Rob tell me, why is (Willard) Katsande achigadzwa pa bench?
Gerald Murashiki: Ummm, Zesa vakomana kuona bhora chairo atove mashura inga manakirwa.
Nixon Gona: Maybe some light in the tunnel and sunshine in the end. Thanks Warriors.
Jonathan Jaricha: Well done WARRIORS.
Kenneth Khiwa Mhlanga: Was it not one of the Asiagate games?
Kidd Charehwa: Rooney isn’t a small man, Sanchez hardly dominates, Xavi and Iniesta would have been better examples but again they are rare talents.
Ashton Masawi: Yes, the guys played very well but they are a lot of grey areas the coach needs to work on. I failed to notice a central striker in that game, some positions were conflicting, of course we were a better team today only because of some dedicated individuals who played with their hearts out. The coach should cast his nest wider.
Simbarashe Roy Keane Maputsa: Surely, Khamaldinho will go places, he is just amazing, he is that kind of player yekuti unoda kungoramba uchimuona achiita take on defenders. I was also impressed by Willard “Bute” Katsande. Chokwadi, the future looks bright for our national team.
Tanaka July Kupara: This crop is just unstoppable, mukaka chaiwo. Well done.
Moses Kufahakurotwi Kandi: The team played well but we are poor on set-pieces.
Nesta Mutungamiri: Duduza is not just gelling well, what’s wrong amana or it’s just me? Wonderful game from the Warriors.
Tatenda Chirombe: What about Antipas Quincy? That guy is not bad at all. He is dedicated. Go boys, Thumbs up Nomara.
Simbarashe Roy Keane Maputsa: ?@Nesta, (Duduza) is a club level player, he is always trying too hard to please the DeMbare fans, that’s why he is failing to click with the rest of the team.
Percy Msipa: Khama is a big small man destined for greater heights.
Wilmore Gumbo: Amazing Warriors, we will go places with this squad.
Wanisayi Mutandwa: ZveAsiagate zvapinda papi? Some people!
George Mutika: He (Khama) is better than that boy from Brazil, Neymar. Saka (Noel) Kaseke akapora, (Onismor) Bhasera akavapo, Honour (Gombami) akadzoka, (Nyasha) Mushekwi rikapedza suspension, Rahman Kutsanzira akashevedzwawo, team yedu ichadyiwa iyoyi? Liberia be warned!
Lloyd Masimura: Khama is a star in the making, if he keeps his feet on the ground. Go Warriors Go!
Acread Akaz Madanhi: The youthful team played very well. It should be kept intact tiwachise Egypt ne Guinea next year.
William Mpasu: It was a good game but I still believe it could have done even better if they stuck to the basics – pass rather than be over elaborate.
Takudzwa Madzimure: I believe we have finally unearthed a fine generation. Watch this space!
Josephat Zvinavashe: Great game, Khama had the keys nhasi, but the real driver was Katsande, that kind of link play was something else. The future looks bright
Marcia Natashasana Gore: Khama, Katsande or whoever you want to mention guys wouldn’t have done it without the rest of the team, haamhanye ground rese ari one. Anyway iye Khama wacho ane nharo, ane short men’s syndrome same na Diego Maradona.
Forbes Jese: Exquisite stuff but Bla Rob Rooney is neither small nor dominant just as Sanchez is yet to explode onto the scene. Go Warriors go!
Radem Row: Great team, great promise of things to come, there is still room for great improvement. With Nomara and Joey it seems the Gods are finally smiling on us. It’s our time, let’s support the team and support the dream. Go Warriors Go!
Sylvester Chirandu Nyamande: A good game, talent izere.
Allen Muridzi: Khama and Katsande have got a good understanding.
Waynemore Mhizha: Maybe Arsene Wenger should just let Cesc and Nasri go and then sign Khama, Katsande and Ovidy.
Tinashe Chiwanga: I watched him (Katsande) play for Feruka, Eastern Lions and Highway back in Division One, we have found the midfield maestro, Willard Katsande should start for the Warriors. He is the man.
Lazzie Hacha: The guys played well but I think the coach should have brought Gutu early in the second half so we could have enjoyed a lot on the ball. Well played and a big confidence booster ahead of the crucial game.
Perfect Makumbe: We might as well have found the next Peter Ndlovu. After watching the pint-sized man (Khama) yesterday, I was convinced he might be ahead of Knowledge.
Stewart Nhamburo: Methodical buildups punctuated by clean ball plays, not much fluidity and expansive play, especially in the midfield. As for Khama, he is a modern day winger, always there, and he makes sure the job is done. He is a marvel to watch.
Patrick Bhunu: Talk of dynamite coming in small packages Bla Rob. Overally the team played quite well and, like I said before, this is the time. We are certainly heading up there.
Tinashe Makoni: Congrats Warriors and Nomara . The style of play that Nomara is trying to introduce (Possessional Football) is the core of success in the modern day great Spanish team (the world Champions), Barcelona, Brazil etc. However, we need to work on the passing speed of our game as well as adding a lot of creativeness when we are attacking. The youngsters, Khama, Katsande, Karuru, Gutu?, Musona, Vusa Nyoni, should now be hardened to play in the harsh African stadiums.
Mazvarira Tichawona: Keep up Zimbo. Let’s keep the youth going. Beside guys let’s not read too much into this game. We have a challenge on the Cape Verde game.
Kudzaishe Machengete: Ndizvo!!!!!!
Dzingai Godfrey Mudavanhu: It was a great passing game, keep it up. We must take it to the next level. Watch out Cape Verde.
Wilson Chandomba: If we don’t take advantage of this generation of stars then we have to wait for another 10 years. We are awash with talent, we need focus from Zifa, journalists and everyone.
Wiseman ‘Whizkid’ Makasi: Duduza had a good game, some people are trying to discredit him with the DeMbare blah blah, just that he is most effective as a winger and he played as centre striker, can’t we appreciate?
Victor Moyo: That guy played a blinder!
Munyaradzi Mubaiwa: I feel everyone played well but there is need to create as many scoring chances as we shall face big teams in the African safari but otherwise they need to be reminded to be disciplined or they will be history very soon.
Farai Farai Katsvanga: Sure, sure, that’s another gem.
Dumisani Sibanda Chikavamapoto: It was a refreshing performance from Khama. The Warriors have a great future.
Tough Luck Samaita
So Mutasa, who started the pre-season with a bang and had a dream Champions League debut at home, has lost his job at Dynamos after a campaign, which promised so much for the team and its fans, has suddenly gone off the rails.
It’s an unforgiving world, this coaching business, guys.
Wasn’t it only in March, which is exactly six months ago, when we were all hailing Mutasa as the Messiah who would drive his beloved DeMbare to greatness?
Wasn’t it only in March, just six months ago, when we were all united in the belief that Dynamos had finally found their man?
I still remember the story I wrote, when I was still in India covering the ICC Cricket World Cup, about the cyberspace celebrations that erupted after Dynamos’ 4-1 win over MC Alger at Rufaro.
I will produce part of that report and the comments that followed.
From Robson Sharuko in KOLKATA, India
DELIRIOUS Dynamos fans turned to the social media forums last night, in cyberspace celebrations to salute the Glamour Boys, after they overpowered Maouloudia Club Alger 4-1 at Rufaro, in a sensational start to their Champions League campaign.
The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, also sent a message, via Facebook, congratulating Dynamos.
Not since a 6-1 destruction of Mbabane Highlanders of Swaziland in 1987 have the Glamour Boys made such a storming start to their campaign on the continent and, after having waited for almost a quarter-of-a-century, it probably explains the frenzy of joy that swept through their fans’ hearts yesterday.
What appeared to impress the Dynamos fans who were at Rufaro yesterday, and who provided the live feeds via the social media forums to their counterparts spread around the globe, was not that their team won 4-1 but the impressive manner that they went about their business.
Most of the fans who tweeted or sent their updates on Facebook appeared to convinced that their team had undergone a stunning transformation, since the arrival of artistic coach Lloyd Mutasa, and a certain swagger had been added to its play.
To the DeMbare loyalists, Mutasa and his men had already shown them a lot, during the pre-season matches, to make them believe in a better season where football would be played with style.
“I think (Lloyd) Mutasa is Zimbabwe’s (Pep) Guardiola. I’m seeing the class of Barca, the spirit of Man U, the youth of Arsenal, the defence of Italy, the voice of the Kop and the royalty of Real Madrid in this Dynamos team,” – VaShagare, Dynamos fan.
Other Comments
Samson Makunde: Good football from DeMbare. I hope the Warriors will learn from DeMbare. Well done DeMbare.
Wellington Shoriwa: Mutasa is our Mourinho in the making. He is shrewd.
Zivai Makusi: DeMbare will be Barca, we did it at Rufaro, and we want to show them again on their ground because DeMbare will always do it, and nothing can stop the Glamour Boyz.
Philimon Gundani: Well played Dembare, a passing game is the recipe for success. You earnestly showed us what teamwork is. Madzibaba Lloyd and team well done
Doniel Aldington Rujada: Thanx guys, thumbs you are a replica of Barcelona with Denver Mukamba being our Lionel Messi. Big up Samaita Lodza Mutasa.
Jon (UK): Tinotenda Samaita. Keep it up. To Dynamos executive, Samaita is a very young coach who can take Dynamos to places it has never been before. I just want you send your coaching department for attachment here in the UK to teams like Arsenal, Man U to learn new techniques and methods.
So what has happened to all that love, all that hope, all those dreams, all those wishes, everything that appeared to point in Mutasa’s favour, everything that appeared to suggest that he could create a dynasty of greatness?
Why has it changed so quickly for the coach and his team?
Well, statistics will show that, at this stage of the season, Mutasa was in a worse off position than Elvis Chiweshe but reading the numbers alone doesn’t tell the true story.
Samaita didn’t have Benjamin Marere or Evans Gwekwerere and took over a team that only had Desmond Maringwa and needed to be rebuilt from scratch and you need to give him credit for that.
He battled hard to keep his team afloat but he certainly didn’t have a marksman to trust, to deliver at this level, and I always had this feeling that, without a gunslinger, they were doomed and I feel I have been proved right for what I said in February.
If there was a weakness, in terms of Mutasa’s work at Dynamos, then it had to do with his apparent failure to rally his team, every time the odds were stacked against them, and once Dynamos fell behind, you almost knew that they were going to lose.
The Dynamos house is unforgiving and now and again, I feel Mutasa – whose backroom staff also left a lot to be desired as they appeared to be guys who went with the tide rather than those who could add value to the technical team – was exposed.
He is a young coach, and will probably work his way back to the top again, but you always felt Dynamos had become flat under Mutasa in recent weeks and, while you can’t blame him for everything that has gone wrong, you feel this was a team that probably needed a change.
It’s sad, isn’t it, that a coach who started with such a bang has to go this early and you wonder what could have happened if Mutasa had been given two full years, with all the support from the executive, to turn it around.
But that’s the way the game is nowadays, isn’t it, and all that goodwill we showed him in March has gone down the drain, Cuthbert Malajila is back, Dynamos could possibly have a striker to count on and Calisto Pasuwa could possibly start with a better team than Lodza.
Let’s see how it works out.
Spare A Thought For Jere and Phiri
Twine Phiri and Farai Jere came out strongly in the media this week defending themselves against charges that they have turned into a cult that was obsessed with selling players rather than building a competitive CAPS United that should consolidate its place as one of the Big Three.
I feel for them because, as they laid bare the figures about what it costs them to buy players and run the club on a monthly basis, and the income that comes from the player sales, you can see that it’s a tough battle.
Given a choice they would have wanted their star boys to stay but when they can only afford to pay them US$500 a month, they become powerless to stop them when the rich boys come knocking on the door with a R100 000 monthly pay cheque for the player.
The significance of that is that it ceases being a seller’s market and it turns into a buyers’ market and the buying club, knowing that it has already won the hearts of the player, now dictates the terms of the sale and can offer even a ridiculous price.
The player wants to go, and his heart is gone, and everything gets into motion.
Yes, Farai and Twine owe it to the CAPS United fans to build a team that can win the championship and they were together when the Green Machine won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.
They need to get that winning formula back but it will certainly not be helped by the pressure that is usually exerted on the coaches and the players, every time the team has a bad run, and CAPS United have to appreciate the value of losing first before they can convert themselves into a team with a culture of winning again.
We all need CAPS United to be strong because, without Makepekepe, you can feel that the Premiership loses something special.
Yes, against a lot of odds, these two guys have battled long and hard to keep their club afloat and, remarkably, they even beat a fierce bid by a huge public quoted company, which had dumped this franchise at the turn of the millennium, to push them out of their team.
While criticism from their fans should be expected, because the supporters want the best for their team, what I couldn’t understand was hearing a man, who was prominent in the failed CAPS FC project, trying to find faults in guys that he battled in the trenches.
CAPS United have to rise, and rise very quickly.
Joke Of The Week
Reports from London say Fernando Torres was spotted throwing 12 petrol bombs during the riots in England but, refreshingly for the police and the objects targeted, none reached the target.
The Big Kick-Off
Here were go again. Come on United!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chicharitoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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