adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
“WAY back when we used to play football, we would go for a good number of weeks without having been awarded a penalty, but somehow these days penalties are now a common sight and one wonders whether it is a change in the laws of the game or it has a lot to do with deteriorating standards of match officiating.
This is what retired top marksman Ford Chitakatira had to say about the difference in the game of football between now and the time he used to play.
Chitakatira needs no introduction to many who were at least of school-going age in the mid-80s up until the 90s when he turned out for Dynamos, Black Aces and Tanganda, among other clubs in the then Super League.
The fiery striker, who turned out for the country’s best supported team, Dynamos, when it was still Dynamos, will be remembered for his ability to attack either from the right, left or centre, thanks to his aptitude in using both legs.
Born on September 15, 1964 at Mutare Provincial Hospital, Ford started his football career at Karina Textiles when the team was still in Division Two before he crossed the floor to join Division One side, UBS, also known as ZUPCO back then. The big break in his career came when his UBS outfit came up against Dynamos at Vengere Stadium in Rusape in Zifa Cup match.
Albeit losing 1-3 in that encounter, Ford was identified as a talented striker by revered former Warriors player and coach Sunday Marimo, who asked him to join the Harare giants. “Although I really wanted to play for Dynamos, at that time I was not sure whether I should go ahead to join Dynamos because it was such a respected outfit with a lot of talented players.
“I opted for Black Aces that was being coached by the late Steve “The Dude” Kwashi by then. It was not long before I was invited to Black Rhinos by one of my best friends, Fanuel Nyamukapa. At the same time, Sunday sent his assistant, Kudakwashe Muchemeyi, to entice me to join Dynamos once again. At that point, I made up my mind and went to Dynamos. It was at the start of 1987 when I finally decided to join Dynamos.
“Competition was there, but I could handle it. The situation was also made easier because some of the exceptionally talented players like Moses ‘Razorman’ Chunga had just left for Belgium.
“I remember earning the first team jersey upon arrival at Dynamos. I played well at Dynamos until I broke my collar bone and was sidelined for about three months,” he said. Ford said when he returned from injury, the competition for the first 11 place in the team was now still stiff with the likes of Gift Mpariwa, Dickson Chunga and others competing.
“At that time Tanganda was in Division One and prospects of them being promoted into the Super League (Premier Soccer League) were very bright.
“Because of the nagging injury I was recovering from, I decided to move to Bata Power in Division One in Gweru and give myself time to recover without strain. I scored 15 goals in the nine matches I played for Bata Power.
“However, it was not long before Jimmy Malomo, who was coaching Tanganda, contacted me together with his assistant, Clemence Kamangira. They told me to come back home and help develop the team.
“I had no problems in coming back home as long as they offered me a job. Since I was a Dynamos player on loan to Bata Power, DeMbare were supposed to clear me to join Tanganda. It was not easy. At first, Sunday Marimo refused, but talks went on and involved the then Dynamos chairman, Wilfred Pawadyira. They finally agreed to release me to Tanganda,” Chitakatira said.
The talented forward joined the now defunct Mutare top-flight league club upon its promotion into the Super League. He hardly missed any match except the first match of the season when he came to Tanganda albeit being used a substitute in most of the matches.
“I was used as a substitute not because I could not fit in the first 11 but the coach wanted me to come in as a substitute for his own reasons. In fact, Malomo used to tell me that I could still start in the first 11, but he was more impressed by my ability to change the face of the game whenever I come from the bench.
“I played alongside Patrick Chapoterera, Frank Jason, William Chari, Webster Kurwaisimba, Cliff Matondo and Misheck Marimo was our coach. Malomo was part of the technical team,” he added. One of his memorable matches in Tan-Tan colours was the Zifa Cup quarter-final match when William Chari went AWOL and he was forced to start in the first 11. He scored a hat-trick.
Up to date, the Warriors trialist thinks his ability to use both legs helped him make his impact felt as a striker.
“I was comfortable with playing as a central striker, left or right winger. However, I enjoyed playing on the left because my combination with left back Mavhuna Mudare behind me was just awesome,” he said. One of the major highlights of his career was the unforgettable 1993 Castle Cup triumph which Tanganda won against CAPS United in Harare.
“It was a memorable moment for all the players who were part of that team. I also took part in the final. I remember very well how I refused to take a penalty during the penalty shootout after the two teams had remained deadlocked.
“If you watch the video of that game today, you can clearly see Webster Kurwaisimba dragging me, trying to convince me to take one of the penalties, but I refused simply because we had played CAPS United in a league match about two weeks before the Castle Cup final and I missed a penalty. The thought of taking yet another penalty against the same team in a more crucial assignment scared me. I refused.
“So the five penalty takers were selected. I was named the sixth in the event that the teams remained deadlocked. Luckily for me Chapotertera scored the last penalty after CAPS had missed and we won before the sudden death penalties,” he said.
Chitakatira, who is now based in Bulawayo, is no longer actively involved in soccer although he hopes to make his way back into the sport one day.
Instead the former Tanganda player is now into darts, ironically playing for a darts club that is chaired by former Highlanders chairman, Ernest Mapepa.
Asked about his opinion on the standards of football nowadays, he said: “Though I am no longer heavily involved in football I would love to come back one day especially in a technical capacity and preferably in my home city of Mutare. I believe I know and understand the football culture of Mutare just as much as characters like Chunga know and understand the football culture at Dynamos and the same with people like Madinda at Highlanders. The challenge that we have these days is that we no longer have that individual flair that we used to have in different players back then. The other sad thing is also about team selection. If you attend a team’s training session these days and you then go and watch the team in action during the weekend you will be shocked to see some players being given the chance to play ahead of better ones.
“I am also worried about the quality of match officiating. Back then when we used to play football, we would go for a good number of weeks without having been awarded a penalty, but somehow these days penalties are now a common sight and one wonders whether it is a change in the laws of the game or it has a lot to do with deteriorating standards of match officiating.
“During our days penalties were only given in deserving circumstances and not what we are seeing these days when a striker just races to place his leg on top of the leg of a defender desperate to clear the ball, then the striker trips down and the referee blows for a penalty. Oh my God!
“Coaches are no longer selecting some of their players on the basis of merit, but at times it is about letting their favoured youngster get a salary or cash. I know and understand that every generation has its challenges and experiences, but I think we had better players in the past than what we are seeing today.”
Online Reporter