adminCUTHBERT Dube and his crew are literally on the ropes and failing to cross the Limpopo for next year’s Afcon finals will certainly leave them sprawling on the mat.
No man wants to hit the floor with a stomach, or vice- versa, with legs going up in the air. And with their enemies, which seem to be many and coming out for everyone to see as the clock ticks, the Zifa leadership must make sure the Warriors beat Angola by any means necessary.
They just have to use all the tricks in the book to qualify for next year’s major continental showcase where the Warriors have been missing in the last three finals — 2008, 2010 and 2012.
There is a lot of football politics going on and it’s not good for the game, but you also have to expect it because football is a national sport and is the most followed discipline globally. When you are running a national association, or a big club like Highlanders and Dynamos, you are in fact occupying a serious political position because of the numbers of people who follow football and subscribe to these institutions.
That is why Fifa president Sepp Blatter can wine and dine with any president of a country of his choice at any particular time. There is power and influence in football and that is why with all the money, reportedly around half a million US dollars that Dube (Zifa president) has “loaned” Zifa, with no immediate prospect of getting it back, there are still some people who think he is a “crazy” man and does not know what he is doing. There are many people who think he is not good for the game and the sooner he is pushed out, the better. There are some who think they can run the association better than him, and you have to expect that where there are many opinions involved. It’s the nature of the game.
But Zifa’s failure to send the Young Warriors to Angola for the return leg of the Under-20 African qualifiers recently after failing to raise $37 000 for the airfares, and the lack of warm up matches for the senior team due to meet Angola on 9 September in the first leg of the last round of qualifiers has certainly given leverage to their critics.
Nonetheless, Dube’s chosen one to lead the Warriors, Rahman Gumbo, will have to conjure up some magic to dazzle past the Angolans to make his boss’ stay in power enjoyable.
With star striker Knowledge Musona doubtful as his lawyers insist that he will not turn up for the match because Zifa are yet to issue a public apology to him after CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze painted him with the damned Asiagate match fixing brush, Gumbo will have to come up with some form of magic.
To make matters worse, the national team coach is also viewed with suspicion from some powerful quarters in football politics, and you feel pity for him because it’s either he swims or sinks, moreso, after losing his job at the country’s richest club, FC Platinum.
He came into the picture after Norman Mapeza was pushed out when those tainted by match fixing allegations were suspended from national teams, yet Mapeza had managed to build the foundation of the Warriors and the direction the team was going was getting clearer by each passing game, and crucially, the nation was beginning to roundly rally behind him.
And then in came Gumbo at a time when the cream of the national team was suspended, and even though some had their suspensions lifted, he still finds himself having to fight hard from a corner of those already on the ropes, with the quality of players who can get the much needed goals still in the wilderness.
South African based Nyasha Mushekwi, who is linked with a move to Germany, is still banned and you cannot underestimate his quality after overshadowing South Africa national team’s most trusted striker Katlego Mphela at club level. Former Chapungu, Highlanders and Dynamos striker Cuthbert Malajila is scoring for fun at Maritzburg United in South Africa, but he is also on the Warriors sidelines due to Asiagate. And so is Edward Sadomba, now rated as one of the best forwards on the continent and who is doing just fine in Sudan.
If Musona decides to go ahead with his self imposed exile, then Gumbo will find himself in a tight situation. And you can feel even now that he is in a desperate situation by some of his call ups to camp that include forgotten former CAPS United striker Mike Temwanjira and FC Platinum’s Donald Ngoma, who just returned from injury.
Without Musona, Takesure Chinyama is likely to carry the burden of leading the frontline, with the league’s leading scorer Nelson Mazivisa giving a helping hand. But there is a problem with Chinyama because he is yet to play at his new club Orlando Pirates inSouth Africa as he is yet to be cleared by Dynamos who are reportedly stalling to make sure they are paid for the release of the player.
When you are on the ropes and desperate in a war situation, you need a powerful machine to return fire. And in this case, Gumbo could do better with a big gun called a “Bazooka.” The machine is at his disposal and is not on the “arms-sanctions list”. The machine is Kingston Nkatha, who is nicknamed “Bazooka” or Cijimpi down South.
The former Caps United attacking midfielder-cum-striker has matured with age like wine and his move to Kaizer Chiefs, one of the biggest clubs on the continent from lowly Black Leopards, should have served as a reminder to national selectors that he is still around.
After netting in eight goals in 15 games for Leopards last season, Chiefs liked his physic and energy upfront and is now their top marksman. He has not yet disappointed after a dream start, scoring in their loss to Orlando Pirates in the Black Label Challenge, scoring again in their 6-0 league opening win against AmaZulu and getting the priceless winner midweek against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The big striker still has age on his side. At 26, he can still deliver for the Warriors and calling him back into the side to add to his 17 caps would not have been a strange decision. Remember he had five goals for the Warriors when he was still a hot potato at CAPS and when he would get regular call-ups when at Free State Stars in South Africa.
The powerful striker however, hopes for a better future at Chiefs.
“It is a nice feeling, always difficult for anyone to put into words. It is a forward step in my football career and I cannot wait to pull on the gold and black jersey and repay the management for the faith they have shown in my abilities as a player,” he was quoted as saying soon after signing for Chiefs in July.
“It is very important that we focus on our goals.Our focus is to give our best to each and every game; take it one game at a time. We do not need to look at what the other teams are doing or what they have done in the past. I am familiar with the surroundings here but it is going to be the first time for me to stay in Johannesburg. I am looking forward to making my stay here memorable.
I also see this as a chance for me to win silverware. As a player it is important to win trophies, so that when you are retired you can look back at your career with a smile.”
After Musona dominated the South African league, there was Mushekwi and Khama Billiat rising shoulders above the rest, and now Nkatha is the man to watch out for and he could also come in handy to get Dube off the ropes.
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