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Sharuko on Saturday
THANK God, we finally have a coach to guide the Warriors in their twin World Cup qualifiers in South Africa.
And, it’s a fair call to say that he was the least of the possible candidates which many fans, and pundits alike, expected to take charge of our national coach.
I think his odds were probably worse than the 5000-1 which Leicester City somehow defied, in probably football’s greatest fairy-tale, on their way to be crowned champions of England.
Jairos Tapera is the new man in charge and, in keeping with the ZIFA NC template, he has been hired on an interim basis.
He is the fourth coach to take charge of national team assignments in the year that Lincoln Mutasa and his lieutenants have been battling, and failing, to run domestic football.
They started with Sunday Chidzambwa, brought in Britto, drafted Norman Mapeza and now they have Tapera in charge of the Warriors.
This translates to appointing a national coach, once every FOUR months which, in my humble view is as close to madness as can be demonstrated by a national football governing body.
Surely, a comic scenario like this ends up sending the message that it’s not those who are being fired and replaced who are the problem.
But, the reality is that it’s those who are making these mad calls who are the real problem.
It’s been a grand party for them – the trips around the world, the five-star hotels, the hefty allowances, the business class tickets, the selfies with the FIFA bosses.
For Lincoln Mutasa it has been the dream pension package which football could give him, a golden handshake for doing virtually nothing all year in a deal which is set to be extended because his team didn’t accomplish the minimum of their targets.
FIFA is probably the only organisation in the world which rewards failure.
ZIFA can defend their choice by saying that Tapera has shown, in the past one-and-half years, to be the best coach in the domestic Premiership and he deserves his chance.
They will argue that he could have won the league last year, had Manica Diamonds played their home matches at Sakubva, and finishing second, in such a punishing arrangement, was an amazing achievement.
And, they can also argue it shouldn’t be forgotten that the eventual winners, Ngezi Platinum Stars, even played some of their away matches, in their backyard, at Baobab.
That Tapera’s team is top of the table right now provides more evidence, if any was needed, that this is a coach who has come of age and ZIFA can argue he deserves a crack at the top job.
THE WARRIORS ARE A NATIONAL PROJECT
What I don’t understand is how ZIFA decided not to include even one coach, from our Southern Region, among Tapera’s assistants.
I know, there will be many who will dismiss this as a pathetic argument because they will say that the national team jobs should not be parcelled out on regional lines.
They will say that qualification for the jobs should be strictly about merit and if the best coach, and his assistants, are from the Northern Region, so be it.
And, if they are from the Southern Region, then so be it too.
That’s fair and fine.
But, my argument is that a national team, especially one that represents the national sport, should be seen to be representative of the entire country.
I’m not talking about the players here because if our best eleven players are based in Bulawayo, they should all make our Warriors first XI.
The same applies, too, if those players are based in Harare, Mutare, Hwange or Gwanda.
But, when it comes to coaches, especially in a situation where none of the coaches really stand out, in terms of their quality, like the one we have in this country today, surely we need to be cognisant of some important national considerations.
To have all the SIX members of our Warriors technical team, including the technical advisor, goalkeeper’s coach and medic being drawn from the northern football side of the country, doesn’t appear to me as if ZIFA did their homework very well.
Anyone who tells me that Saul Chaminuka will bring in more value to the Warriors technical set-up than, let’s say, Thulani Sibanda, should be ready for an argument which can rumble for a year.
The current PSL log shows that Thulani’s Bulawayo Chiefs have 18 points while the two clubs, which Saul has flirted with this season, Bikita Minerals and Greenfuel are both on 17 points.
I’m not against Saul being drafted into the Warriors squad.
But I ‘m not comfortable with someone like Thulani being left out when we can’t give him a valid reason why he was sidelined in a situation where Saul was chosen.
Or, what about Kelvin Kaindu?
Surely, ZIFA could have talked to him for a possible role as part of the Warriors assistant coaches and we all know that he would have brought real value to the set-up.
For goodness sake, if Callisto Pasuwa can be named the coach of the Malawi Under-23 team, which will play at COSAFA Cup, surely we could have tapped into the vast knowledge which Kaindu has?
THIS ISN’T ZIFA FC, IT’S
ZIM FC
To me, the Warriors are like the Independence Cup.
And, the reason why this tournament always features Dynamos and Highlanders is because it has to be seen to be representative of the entire nation.
The problem with what ZIFA have done is that it feeds into conspiracy theories, which would have been avoided had they shown real leadership in being sensitive to national interests.
Now, we have questions being asked, and rightly so, as to why Lynoth Chikuhwa was ignored from the squad which was announced this week.
The Highlanders forward is leading the Golden Boot race in the Premiership with seven goals but he wasn’t drafted into a team which has a player, Tymon Machope, who has four goals.
How do we tell Lynoth that his seven goals do not carry the same weight, and value, when it comes to selection for national duty, like Machope’s four goals?
Is it because Machope has a fairy-tale story which has seen him rise from playing social football, at a farm, just two years ago, to playing in the domestic Premiership?
If the leading goal-scorer in the league is ignored, how do ZIFA then argue that they used success, in the same league, to appoint Tapera as national team coach?
Don’t tell me that in Machope we are investing in the future because, at 30, he is older than Lynoth.
But, singling out Machope will be very unfair.
How do ZIFA explain that the team with the joint-worst record, when it comes to goals conceded (14), among the top 12 teams on the table, has provided the goalkeeper’s coach for the Warriors?
His name is Zwanayi Kawadza and, like Machope, he is employed by Simba Bhora.
Simba Bhora have the worst joint record (14), in terms of goals conceded, among the top 12 clubs on the table, their ‘keeper is not among those drafted into camp and yet their goalkeeper’s coach is being rewarded with a job with the Warriors.
If you take away the three goals, which CAPS conceded in the boardroom after the abandonment of their match against FC Platinum, you will see that Simba Bhora are the ones who have conceded the worst number of goals, among the top 12 clubs.
They have conceded just two goals less than Chegutu Pirates.
But, when you take away the three goals, which came from the boardroom following the abandonment of their match against Dynamos, you will see that Chegutu Pirates have the same defensive record as Simba Bhora.
How then does Simba Bhora’s goalkeepers’ coach get the nod ahead of his Chicken Inn counterpart, whose team has conceded just nine goals?
Or the FC Platinum goalkeepers’ coach, whose team has conceded just 10 goals, or the Highlanders goalkeepers’ coach, whose team has conceded just 12 goals?
And, somehow, the Simba Bhora team medic, Lennon Gwara, has also been given the same job with the Warriors.
Does it mean the medics at Bulawayo Chiefs, Chicken Inn, Bosso, Arenel, TelOne, FC Platinum or even Hwange, are not as good as Gwara?
It’s these little things, Mr Mutasa, which do not make sense and should be considered when you are dealing with a national team.
For the record, the Warriors are not ZIFA FC. They are ZIM FC.
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 still in the struggle.
Come on Chegutu Pirates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zaireeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
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You can also interact with me on the ZTV football programme, Game Plan, where I join the legendary Charles “CNN” Mabika on Wednesdays
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