Tinaye Agere
Happy new year folks!
Indeed, this year looks very promising in more ways than one.
First things first, Bra Shakes has to start by profusely apologising for suddenly leaving you late last year.
Unfortunately, he had been under the weather for some time and really needed time to nurse himself back to health, but boy oh boy, he couldn’t have returned at a more consequential time in the history of Zimbabwean football than now.
A lot has happened since last year when he warned that the race to land the ZIFA presidency will be nothing short of “Hobbesian” — nasty and brutal.
There has been a lot of intrigue, too, particularly ahead of the new Premier Soccer League season, what with the arrival of obscenely rich Scottland FC who, rather prematurely, are already being pre-emptively considered title contenders.
It’s unprecedented.
Refreshingly new
But whoever among the six candidates that have been given the nod to contest — Martin Kweza, Nqobile Magwizi, Twine Phiri, Makwinji Soma Phiri, Philemon Machana and Marshall Gore — wins the presidency in elections pencilled for January 25 will be a breadth of fresh air, especially for an association whose reputation stinks to the high heavens.
However bad they might eventually become, they will definitely be better than Leo Mugabe; Cashbert — oops, sorry, Cuthbert Dube; and most definitely the blabbering and blundering Felton Kamambo.
Well, it is difficult to judge whether Phillip Chiyangwa was good or bad for ZIFA because of his outlandishness that was, and still is, similar to Donald Trump’s.
Although there were some positives during his reign, he came with a lot of baggage.
For instance, the equally showy businessman, Sir Wicknell, shadowed him, and would often whimsically dish out money and cars to the national team coaches and players.
Although it was noble, it brought distractions through unnecessary drama and sideshows.
Sometime in March 2016, after witnessing the Warriors destroy Swaziland in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Sir Wicknell just decided to shower the squad with Samsung Galaxy S7 phones, which were trendy at the time.
As was largely predictable, the end was unsurprisingly farcical and tragic.
So, the seemingly unorthodox and controversial methods that were used by Chiyangwa might have helped him navigate his term as ZIFA president, but they didn’t look, sound and feel sustainable.
To all intents and purposes, ZIFA, as an institution, remained intrinsically weak and fragile, which became all the clearer when Chiyangwa and Chivayo left with their money.
What is, however, comforting is the fact that the candidates contesting for the presidency seem to share the same diagnoses of the disease that afflicts local football as well as prescriptions needed to restore it to good health.
They also cannot be faulted for lacking passion for the sport.
If anything, their hearts seem to be in a good place.
For Bra Shakes, no candidate represents the new and fresh calibre of suitors for the presidency better than Nqobile Magwizi.
He looks cleaner, fresher, articulate and has the qualifications to back this all up; so, too, does Kweza, Gore, et al.
It is not clear how the appeals by Benjani Mwaruwari, Themba Mliswa, Gift Banda and Walter Magaya, who failed the vetting, would pan out.
Mwaruwari and Mliswa decided to take their case to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), while Magaya chose the High Court. But Magaya should have known that FIFA, just like the Vatican, considers itself a sovereign and usually frowns at processes that are outside its jurisdiction.
But who knows?
Magaya, by dint of his station in life, knows more than we do that miracles do happen (pun intended).
Whatever the case, local football will open a new chapter on January 25, which will materially shape the country’s most popular sport going forward.
We need not squander the moment, lest our local football be perpetually condemned to unsalvageable gloom and doom.
Rise of Scottish galacticos
And Bra Shakes cannot obviously ignore the breathtaking developments in the top-flight, where newcomers Scottland, like pirates, are raiding teams of their choicest players.
They now have in their books the fearsome trio of reigning Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona and the two runner-ups, Lynoth Chikuhwa and Khama Billiat.
Current premiership champions Simba Bhora have also lost Tymon Machope, Tichaona Chipunza, Mthokozisi Msebe, Vasili Kawe and goalkeeper Talbert Shumba to Scottland in what could be a seismic shift in the balance of power.
Its owner, Scott, seems to be creating a football version of the Hollywood blockbuster “The Expendables”, which had a star ensemble consisting of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Or, better still, he is creating his own version of the galacticos, which will definitely bring some excitement to the Premier Soccer League.
Money can indeed buy happiness, but will it buy success?
At least this is a golden era for footballers, who stand to benefit from better perks offered by these cash-flush clubs.
Bra Shakes knows of some of the young players whose lives have been materially transformed in ways never imagined before. This is how it should be.
We can only expectantly wait to see what the future holds.
Until next time.
Peace!
Yours Sincerely,
Bra Shakes.
Online Reporter