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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Editor
MANY people might not have realised it but it’s the plain reality on the ground. A fact that might not be so palatable to some sections of the football fans, especially those that will never see anything good about the team that bred the persons in question. I am talking here about former Dynamos players who have ruthlessly invaded the Zimbabwe coaching landscape while other former stars, especially from their rivals Highlanders are arguably lying idle.
I noted, with amazement that the reigning Premier Soccer League champions have seven of their former players coaching Premiership teams, a huge achievement worth celebrating by any standards.
DeMbare has championship winning coach Callisto Pasuwa who is assisted by former players as well, Lloyd Mutasa is at FC Platinum and assisted by Masimba Dinyero, Biggie Zuze is at Triangle where there is also Gift Muzadzi, reigning Coach of the Year Bigboy Mawiwi is at Harare City and across town in the capital there is Taurai Mangwiro at Caps United. Even if he never played for them, in Mutare there is Luke Masomere who coaches Buffaloes while in Chiredzi, Moses Bambo Chunga and Clayton Munemo are at Chiredzi United, formerly Hippo Valley.
You are talking here of seven coaches who owe their existence in football to the Harare giants, some of who still scratch their heads and shout out some obscenities whenever Dynamos loses, even if their own teams will be in action.
It is a fact that all these players all wish, at any one given time, to coach their childhood side, The Glamour boys and believe you me, if a telephone call comes even during the season, they would rather abandon their current employ and respond to the “parental call”.
Their CVs become heavier, again without doubt, if they beat Highlanders, Dynamos’ old nemesis.
The question now is, where are former Highlanders players? Is it that they all want to coach and die at Highlanders? Is it that the football fraternity is ganging up against former Highlanders players?
Is it that the former stars are afraid to take risks like facing their once home supporters at Soweto? In IsiNdebele one may ask, bakhulelwa yibuntu babo yini?
All these are questions that need answers.
How many Bosso sons, besides Madinda Ndlovu, his late younger brother Adam and Rahman Gumbo have coached other teams at the highest level?.
Is it a case of ganging up or simply not wanting to engage former Highlanders players?
Most of them have been in charge of lower level teams yes, but one needs to be where the big boys are in order to be counted among them.
Without taking anything away from Biggie Zuze, Triangle employed him at the expense of a tried and tested coach, Rahman Gumbo, a man who has won titles in three different countries, preferring a man who led his team to Division One last season.
Perhaps there is something else which the Triangle people were looking at other than football issues because in a normal set-up, you do not need to interview Gumbo. You give him the job, finish and klaar!
It’s like Caps United or any other team locally, putting Kudakwashe Mahachi on trials, I mean it just doesn’t work.
But besides Gumbo, Madinda, Methembe Ndlovu, where are other Bosso sons? Are they unemployable?
Former Hwange hard tackling midfielder and brother to Highlanders bound Charles Sibanda, Oswald, believes a number of teams in the league have executive members who have always had a soft spot for certain teams in the league.
“They can not be coaches in the PSL because most teams there have got a board that supports certain teams, so I guess people look after their own,” he said.
Lawrence Maphosa blamed the Highlanders leadership and team supporters who demonise anyone who jumps the ship and coaches any other club other than Highlanders.
“The problem is that Bosso supporters and its leadership are too harsh on former players who find jobs somewhere. If they do that, they get banned from even entering the club house or free entry during Bosso matches. Methembe Ndlovu formed Bantu Rovers and became number one enemy,” said Maphosa.
When Rahman was head coach at Motor Action, many Highlanders fans continuously ridiculed him and things got even worse when he beat Bosso hands down in the 2005 Independence Cup final at Barbourfields Stadium although the former Warriors coach stoked the fires himself during the build up to that game when he was quoted in Umthunywa saying “Akusela Bosso, libizo kuphela”.
Former Highlanders skipper, Thulani Biya Ncube argued that not everyone can be a coach. Jerry Sibanda, a Bosso former forward is the Highlanders treasurer while Ernerst Maphepha Sibanda rose from being a player to a manager and chairman.
Controversial critic Faith Silandulo Dube said on the issue; “I want to look at it from a different perspective. The majority of the clubs with those coaches if you take a closer look are pseudo Dynamos extensions. Triangle will rather have a relegated coach than Rahman Gumbo who has won three titles in different countries and has vast international experience.”
As the 2014 Premiership season gets underway next month, it must dawn on all Highlanders supporters that their head coach Kelvin Kaindu will probably face a product of Dynamos once in every two weeks.
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Online Reporter