Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
DOMESTIC football returned towards the end of last year after a lengthy stoppage caused by an outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 much to the relief of the fans and stakeholders of the “beautiful game”.
Now that the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League has reached the halfway mark and taken a two-week break, we look at the 17 rounds of matches played so far.
The standard of play
There were bound to be rusty players, as they had not practised for almost two years.
Practice makes perfect, but most players had no opportunity to hone their skills during the lockdown.
This meant the standard of play on return was uninspiring, and as a result, the teams failed to lure more fans to the stadia.
Crowds that had thronged stadia pre-Covid-19 became wishful thinking for the clubs.
Fans resorted to watching matches online or simply relied on social media for updates.
The very same fans that had clamoured for the return of sport at the height of Covid-19 were nowhere to be seen and matches were played in virtually empty stadia.
While the football fraternity sought to find reasons for the low attendance at matches, FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza may have just summed it all up in one of his post-match comments when he bemoaned the quality of the local game.
“To be honest, the quality of football in our country is going down massively.
Most clubs can’t play two or three complete touches, it’s just two passes and the ball is sent forward.
Of course, there are teams that have been winning games, but then the performance is not attractive.
“The ball is always played from the goalkeeper to the centre striker and then we say fans are not coming to watch football, what do you want them to watch?
Teams that can’t make two, three or five complete touches?
Who wants to come and watch such a kind of football?” Mapeza said.
Mapeza’s thoughts are shared by many who have decided to shun PSL matches owing to the boring football on display.
The big question is whether there will be improvement in the quality of football after the break.
Hooliganism
This is one “demon” that the local game has to exorcise. Although there were few fans passing through the turnstiles, the violence was surprisingly out of control.
Fingers point to the country’s traditional giants Dynamos and Highlanders, whose fans were the biggest culprits in tarnishing the local game’s brand.
Dynamos’ legion of followers went wild at Barbourfields Stadium when their team went down 1-0 to Highlanders and left a trail of destruction, ripping the nets apart while attempting to uproot the goal.
They even went to the extent of pelting Bulawayo City Council workers that wanted to replace the damaged nets so that the game could resume, forcing the referee to abandon proceedings.
PSL indefinitely suspended its programme after this chaos and summoned club security officers, ground owners and the police for an Indaba to seek a lasting solution to rising acts of hooliganism tainting the image of local football.
Bosso fans also left a bad mark in Zvishavane when they invaded the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to home team FC Platinum.
Police resorted to firing tear smoke, which unfortunately affected players and officials, meaning the game could not continue.
Dynamos were fined US$4 000 and team manager Richard Chihoro was slapped with a US$2 000 fine for disturbances which occurred when DeMbare played Bulawayo Chiefs in a league match at Barbourfields Stadium in March.
The fines came after Dynamos protested a decision by referee Hardly Ndazi to award Chiefs a penalty.
DeMbare fans threw missiles onto the pitch, head coach Tonderai Ndiraya, goalkeepers coach Gift Muzadzi and Chihoro charged at the referee and his assistants in protest.
The unruliness held up the game for about 15 minutes.
Big three contrasting fortunes
While Dynamos are in the title race as they sit one point behind log leaders Chicken Inn, Highlanders and Caps United are worryingly hovering just above the relegation zone.
Caps United are just a point away from the red zone, while Highlanders managed to move four points clear after winning their last match before the break.
Caps United suffered their sixth straight defeat and both sides will welcome the two-week break, as it may allow them to put their houses in order.
With only six points separating the top three on the PSL table at the halfway mark, this promises to be one of the closest ever races for the title.
Chicken Inn lead the race with 35 points, DeMbare second on 34 and FC Platinum a close third on 31 points.
The gems
Dynamos midfielder Bill Antonio is arguably one of the finds of the season.
The Prince Edward High schoolboy, who is just 18 years old, dazzled and reminded the local football fraternity that teenagers can still shine on the biggest stage.
Whawha’s 21-year-old Calum English-Brown is another player enjoying life in the PSL.
He is also the only white football player in the country’s topflight league.
The last white player to feature in the PSL was Harare City’s Ryan Harrison in 2018.
English-Brown made his debut with a dazzling performance to inspire Whawha to a 3-0 thrashing of Chicken Inn at Ascot Stadium.
Before he graduated into the topflight league, English-Brown played for Herentals Under-20 side in the Zifa Northern Division One League.
He has been enjoying his game at Whawha and is a crowd favorite.
Another youngster doing well is Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya who plays for defending champions FC Platinum.
He has scored seven goals and provided many assists for the Zvishavane outfit. — @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter