NATHAN IS JUST A KID CHASING HIS DREAM

Sharuko on Saturday

NATHAN Mutasa!

A footballer with model looks, a newboy in our Premiership and a young man trying to adjust to the brutal demands of playing in a top-flight league for the first time.

This week, no other name dominated local football conversations on social media the way this young man did.

Not even Billy Veremu.

The man who scored his ninth goal of the season to help MWOS win their grudge match against Scottland at Ngoni on Saturday.

Billy was also honoured this week when he was crowned the April Player of the Month in the domestic Premiership.

Not even Prosper Padera, the Finland-based teenager, who showed a lot of promise in his first game for his country in the COSAFA duel against Mauritius.

Not even Sean Fusire, the highly-rated Sheffield Wednesday midfielder whose decision to commit himself to his fatherland has generated considerable interest among the Warriors fans.

Instead, all the focus and all the discussions, were on Nathan.

A lot of it was brutal amid accusations that the young man had gate-crashed his way into the Emerging Warriors team that is in South Africa for the COSAFA Cup.

A big constituency said he doesn’t deserve to be there and had only been smuggled into the team by some forces, in the background, who have hijacked the selection process for the national teams.

Reading some of the comments, I was left wondering if this was really about football or Nathan was just a mere pawn being used by those who don’t like Scottland to vent their anger.

And, it appears, there is also a group of people, including some who are not necessarily football fans, who don’t like him simply because he is Pokello’s son.

What is not in dispute is that Nathan is still very raw and has a lot of rough edges which need to be polished before he can become the footballer that he wants to be.

What is also not in dispute is that Nathan had a very poor game against MWOS and a lot of the anger, which is being directed to him, appears to be coming from many people whose judgment of him stems from that one game.

It was probably the biggest game of the season, in terms of spectator interest across all the boundaries which divide football fans.

It was a very tough test for Nathan and his case was not helped in any way by being thrust into a central role as the spearhead of the attack when he has played on the flanks all season.

But, he wasn’t the only Scottland player who struggled that day with only three players – ‘keeper Nelson Chadya, Khama Billiat and Kingsley Mureremba – living up to expectations.

The Soccer Star of the Year, Walter Musona, struggled badly that afternoon on his return to his hometown, but he is with the real Warriors in Morocco for the two friendly matches.

In Scottland’s previous game against Chicken Inn, Walter was cast onto the bench.

But, I never read anything on the social media platforms questioning why a player, who is now even being thrown onto the bench at his club, is still considered good enough for the Warriors by Michael Nees?

There appears to be a consensus on that front that Walter has earned his place in the Warriors because he is good enough to play for the national team and not even a poor run of form, or the occasional place on the bench, can deny him that right.

NATHAN IS JUST A KID PURSUING HIS DREAM

Nathan started that match against Chicken Inn and provided the main threat for Scottland down the right hand channel in that first half.

When Tonderai Ndiraya pulled him out in the second half, there was an uproar among the Scottland fans in Vietnam over the decision to substitute him because they appreciated he was doing well.

He didn’t do well against MWOS, but that is normal in football.

What I don’t understand is some fans ganging up against a 21-year-old kid we have just known for the last three months, playing just a few games, the majority of them as a substitute?

For goodness sake, Nathan was not thrust into the real Warriors side in Morocco, but into a developmental team, which is in South Africa, for the COSAFA Cup.

I would have understood the uproar if this boy was not even playing football and had just been parachuted from nowhere.

But, he is playing in our domestic Premiership and for a team which is essentially in second place on the table, while the traditional giants are all down the pecking order, including one which is in the relegation zone.

Yes, he has many technical flaws, but that’s fine because he has just started his journey, at this level of football, and it’s up to the coaches to address that and help him become a better footballer.

We were held to a goalless draw by Mauritius in the first game and, save for Padera, I didn’t see anything from our other players to suggest that they are on a higher level and a player like Nathan will be out of place in their company.

But, that didn’t matter for me because I understand the bigger picture of this mission  and it’s the need to give these players some exposure at this level of the game and help their development.

Even if the majority of our boys didn’t impress against Mauritius, it didn’t matter to me because that is precisely the reason they are part of this team – for their rough edges to be polished so that they become better players.

We can’t accept on one hand that we have sent a development side to COSAFA and, on the other hand, question the inclusion of a player who is in the developmental phase of his career, just like the others in that team.

We can’t say Nathan is hopelessly out of depth, and doesn’t deserve to be part of a squad which can’t beat Mauritius, the Indian Ocean islanders where football is virtually a part-time game.

Nathan is a Zimbabwean boy and he loves his football – that is the reason he chose the game when it’s quite clear that there were many other channels which were open for him.

He should not be judged by his family connections, but he should be judged purely as a footballer who is just starting his adventure and trying to settle in our Premiership.

I know it’s not a popular stance to take and there will be a lot of bricks thrown in my direction, but someone has to be brave to say it and defend a 21-year-old kit who is now clearly confused by the sheer weight and brutal tone of the harsh criticism he is getting.

It has affected him and I can see that he is now playing with a lot of fear – knowing that if he makes a mistake the brigade which doesn’t like him will slaughter him.

He needs to be brave and his support staff should help him.

What I have seen is that he is a decent footballer and I would rather have these young boys being given a chance than keep seeing the veterans being recycled.

He needs love and not hate.

To God Be The Glory!

Peace to the GEPA Chief, the Big Fish, George Norton, Daily Service, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and all the Chakariboys in the struggle.

Come on Warriors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Khamaldinhoooooooooooooooooo!

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