Andrew
Petros Kausiyo
Sports Editor
IT might not currently be deemed up to scratch to host Premiership and international football matches, but Rufaro Stadium last weekend proved it was still the ceremonial home of domestic football when the game and its people reunited at the iconic venue.
The occasion was the inaugural Axis Solutions Super 8 Cup final showdown between Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL) sides Simba Bhora and Golden Eagles.
And, in a fitting end to a fine season by easily the best-performing league this year, the cathedral for that football congregation was Rufaro, itself the venue of many memorable battles involving various clubs, national teams and even school sides.
The last major cup final at Rufaro was a Mbada Diamonds clash in which Dynamos overcame Monomotapa 2-0 through a Roderick Mutuma brace on November 23, 2014.
Last weekend, it was the turn of the Northern Region’s top guns to square off.
Golden Eagles, who had lost to Simba Bhora in their riveting race for promotion into the top-flight, atoned for that disappointment with a deserved 2-0 victory before a decent crowd, amid a carnival atmosphere.
Critically for football, it once again showed its pulling power when organised and marketed the right way, as there was more to it than just the Axis Solutions Cup final.
Football came back home
The game not only returned home, but it reunited its family members, leaving some of them reminiscing about the good times they used to have at the iconic stadium.
NRSL chairperson Martin Kweza and his executive committee have since won praises for pulling all the stops to ensure that even in its decrepit state, Rufaro remains a place where football and its people can reconnect.
Indeed, they reconnected on a bright sunny day that was punctuated by musical entertainment headlined by Suluman Chimbetu and Baba Harare.
For former Dynamos and Zimbabwe international player Edward Sadomba, a return to Rufaro nearly brought him to tears, as it triggered a flood of memories from his boyhood days to the time when he led DeMbare’s 2008 CAF Champions League fairytale campaign.
“I felt like crying when I stepped into Rufaro Stadium to watch the Axis Super 8 final. This stadium holds a lot of memories,” Sadomba said.
“Since I was very young, at the age of eight, we used to go earlier, around 11 am with my boyhood friends. We would sneak into Rufaro through the gates; since we were skinny, taipoya nepamasimbi kusati kwatombova nemanew terraces, which were later erected.
“Watching the matches there, I used to tell myself that one day, I would want to play in this stadium . . . Yah, it came to pass.
“It’s a stadium that changed our lives; it is the same stadium that made Al Hilal to sign me when we played ASEC Mimosas in the 2008 CAF Champions League.”
It was an emotional match for Sadomba as he had lost his sister Portia, who died on the eve of the blockbuster encounter.
He only took to the field after his family gave him the greenlight. Sadomba would go on to grab a brace in a 2-1 win over the Ivorian giants. He, therefore, believes Rufaro should not be abandoned.
Former Warriors manager Sharif Mussa also watched the Axis final and sat side by side with ex-Motor Action defender Allan Johnson and retired referee Tendai Bwanya.
“It has been a long while indeed since I came back to Rufaro, which, as you know, is the home of local football,’’ Mussa said.
“I have been watching a number of PSL games at the National Sports Stadium, but Rufaro just presents a different atmosphere. I also knew Rufaro from the national team days, when I was always resident there, being the team manager.
“That atmosphere at Rufaro was definitely electric and different, and just seeing former and current players, coaches, referees and administrators mixing and mingling during the Division One game was great.”
The affable former Warriors manager also expressed deep concern over squabbles that have characterised the administration of the game and called for unity.
“As a country, we should better our facilities and work together to improve football as a whole . . . and let football be the winner . . .
“We need to ensure that football is back to being played . . . and we can also see the next generation of Warriors come up. Well done to Northern Region (Soccer League),’’ Mussa said.
Women’s football legend and former Zimbabwe skipper and coach Rosemary Mugadza was also among the crowd at Rufaro.
“It was nice to be back at the home of football . . . You could see the joy and happiness among the spectators after a long time without watching football at Rufaro.
“For me, it brought good memories, and hopefully next year, it will be upgraded and serve the people who can’t afford to go to the National Sports Stadium because of the costs. Well done to the Northern Region executive for bringing football back to the people,’’ Mugadza said.
However, acting ZIFA chief executive officer Xolisani Gwesela, who is also the association’s competitions manager, said Rufaro remains suspended for high-level games.
It is understood that the venue can only be certified fit to host elite domestic and international games after refurbishment works that need to be done are completed.
“Homologation (certification of stadiums) has levels. For Division One matches, Rufaro can be used, but not for the Premier Soccer League,” Gwesela said.
Sadly, that might not be any time soon, as a deal to have energy giants Sakunda Holdings renovate the stadium seems to have stalled.
But the Axis final presented former Dynamos chairperson Simon Makaza with a chance to reconnect with some of his peers years after the businessman-cum-farmer had disappeared from the radar.
“Pane chakanaka chese chinenge chaitwa, zvinofanira kurumbidzwa. Entertainment of fans by Sulu and Baba Harare, followed by a good game, was last seen years back; it was a family football day,” he said.
“A carnival atmosphere, high-profile personalities, including legendary former national team coaches and managers, that alone showed that people still love their football . . . Credit must also go to my daughter, Pamela Julius Makaza, for handling the marketing of the tournament.”
City fathers, he said, should not let stadiums deteriorate further since they have a lot of history attached to them.
Veteran administrator and ex-Northern Region chairperson Francis Zimunya was also charmed by what he saw.
“As football elders and stakeholders, I encourage other leagues to emulate what the Northern Region is doing in developing football at grassroots level.
“It was an honour and pleasure to grace the occasion,” said Zimunya.
It was imperative, he added, for local leagues and clubs to ensure sponsors get their mileage.
“This was a great initiative by the ZIFA Northern Region leadership. This is what ZIFA and the PSL should be doing to bring back crowds to the stadiums . . . The friendly family atmosphere that prevailed at the Axis Cup final brought back the good old memories when Rufaro was always full during weekend matches that used to be played there.”
Online Reporter