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Noel Munzabwa and Mehluli Sibanda
NO prophet will ever lay claim to have been shown a glowing 2016 year for Zimbabwe football in terms of international soccer tournaments qualification, with a history tattered by successive game’s maladministration.
If anything many would have probably taken a gamble — a wild one for that matter, of a doomed year basing all “holy visions” on thunderous football administrators block fights which eventually claimed Cuthbert Dube’s presidency two years prematurely.
Dogged by perennial administrative bleeps and blunders of 2015, a ghost that saw the Warriors undertaking the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations first qualifier sojourn to Malawi by a straining half a day trip aboard Munorurama Bus Service arriving just hours before kickoff, it never seemed the sun could shine upon Zimbabwe soccer in 2016.
Everyone doubted the football gods would turn a smile upon Zimbabwe football and that was the perceived reality which was never to be.
Enter maverick Phillip Chiyangwa at the football helm in December 2015, many doubted him, some were firm with their faith with some preferring to give him a chance though with a shadow of doubt and the new year was entered.
Focus on the year 2016 was preparing for the Chan, which we are one of the only three nations yet to miss an edition, set the tone for what could have been the best ever soccer year in terms of international tournaments for Zimbabwe football.
With charisma, Chiyangwa seemed to have breathed luck, or Midas touch to qualifications to the international soccer tournaments worth celebrating.
Never mind the shortcomings in the game’s administration corridors because that has been part of us for years, perhaps that has become the steering force behind qualification.
Just at the dawn of the year, we went, we saw but faltered in Rwanda falling out at the group stage — a sharp contrast to the previous edition’s semi-finalists’ best of the nation and we came, drew lessons and focused on other assignments.
Focus then turned to the Mighty Warriors and the Warriors’ assignments. The Shadreck Mlauzi-coached Mighty Warriors were to make the country proud by qualifying for not only the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, but also for the 2016 Africa Women’s Championships. At the Olympics, the group stage ghost haunted us and before long the girls were back home to follow the later stages of the games as part of armchair participants.
By then the girls had sealed their passage to the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations with another stunning win over Zambia at the Nkoloma Stadium in the final qualifier.
Zimbabwe was to be among the eight teams taking part at the finals held in Cameroon in November and again we made a group stage exit.
The Kalisto Pasuwa-mentored Warriors faced Swaziland in the third and fourth rounds of qualifiers, managing a draw in Lobamba before a 4-0 thumping victory in Harare before humbling Malawi 3-0 to clinch the air ticket to next week’s Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The away trip to Guinea in September was a mere academic fulfilment to the rounds of matches.
Meanwhile, there was no Cosafa joy for the Under-17 who were withdrawn, for the Warriors in Namibia and the Under-20 in North West, South Africa with perhaps the other joy coming from the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games held in Angola last month where the younger lads won gold.
On the local season, Premiership and First Division leagues proved the most competitive in years providing many twists and turns before eventually Caps United ended an 11-year wait to bag the elite league. Shabanie Mine the Central Soccer League, Yadah Gunners (Eastern Region), Black Rhinos (Northern Region) and Bantu Rovers (Southern Region). Makepekepe won the championship on the last day with a 1-0 victory over Chapungu at Ascot Stadium in Gweru with their closet challengers being second placed FC Platinum and Highlanders who finished third.
Hardlife Zvirekwi was to be voted Soccer Star of the Year at a glittering ceremony held in Harare. Leonard Tsipa, the Golden Boot winner finished as the first runners-up while Petros Mhari was voted as the second runner-up, having also picked up the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade.
Chiyangwa made history at the end of the year when he was elected unopposed as the Cosafa president on a five-year term at the regional body’s annual general meeting held at Sun City resort in South Africa. He replaced Suketu Patel of Seychelles who decided not to stand after completing the second of his five-year terms.
As the 2017 year opens with the Afcon the biggest hope is for the group stage ghost to finally be exorcised and possibly glory be brought home.
Back at home, the four promoted teams are still in the dark as to whether they will be playing in the top flight next season as the Premier Soccer League and Zifa have not yet agreed on the promotion and relegation format. The sponsorship deal between the PSL and Delta Beverages has come to an end and with the confusion on how many will playing in the country’s top flight next season, chances of the arrangement being renewed are also slim.
The other prayer will go to Caf club tournaments ambassadors Caps United and Ngezi Platinum to do well with more hope for the entire Southern Africa region raised by Mamelodi Sundowns triumphant Caf Champions League run.
@NoelMunzabwa, @Mdawini_29
Bongani Ndlovu