The Sunday Mail
YOURS truly was accused of all sorts of things after an assessment of Norman Mapeza as a coach.
Some said I hate the guy because he’s successful, has a house in one of Harare’s leafy suburbs and has a high paying job at FC Platinum, a team which is better organised than the one I support.
Now I have no reason to hate Mapeza, absolutely none.
Then the boss, Makomborero Mutimukulu, took to Facebook to say I write well but seem to be always bitter.
Mako Gold urged me to smile a little.
So the temptation would have been to try to please the head of The Sunday Mail Sports desk, who must be the beautiful Fatima Bulla these days since Mako is at the Africa Cup of Nations, with a happy, smiley piece.
But hell no, I won’t do that!
The problem with us Zimbabweans is we don’t want to hear the ugly truth.
We are good at turning a blind eye on things and rush to accuse those who highlight flaws as haters.
The afcon tournament got into gear in Equatorial Guinea yesterday and a team whose nickname paints the picture of real fighters is nowhere near the top table of African football.
Even if the 16 teams that are in Equatorial Guinea are to be disqualified and the second best 16 in the 2015 qualifiers are to be invited your so called Warriors won’t even make the grade.
What is there to smile a little about when the team you support, the team you want to do well because they represent your nation, the country that President Mugabe vows will never be a colony again, is not at afcon?
Should one smile when the best they can do is buy a counterfeit Cameroonian jersey in Harare’s Gulf area, sit in front of a television and rally behind an adopted team?
This past week VaShagare has heard such disheartening statements as: “Ndiri weIvory Coast (I am for Ivory Coast).”
Now how do you smile and pen feel-good pieces at a time when the best teams on the continent are doing battle at afcon and your so called Warriors are stuck in the football dustbin with little hope of resurrecting?
Our football is dead and Cuthbert Dube is a candidate for treason charges in my book because he has messed with the people’s game, the people’s team and the people’s emotions.
Soon after the borrowed joy we are deriving from the Africa Cup of Nations is over we will come back to reality and the Warriors will still be “disbanded” according to Dube’s cartoon character language.
In the meantime can we still call the senior national team the Warriors with a straight face?
The nickname seems rather misplaced.
The Warriors my foot.
Enjoy the afcon jamboree but never forget that the Warriors would have joined the ZDF team, whose mission is fully funded by the Equatorial Guinea government, in flying the Zimbabwean flag had it not been for our failure to take action against a man, a Dr, who is killing our game.
And you tell me to smile a bit?
No Mako Gold I won’t smile mwene.
Maybe you can smile as you watch the action live when some of us have to contend with filthy sports bars that are full of pseudo analysts and poorly dressed women who sell God given wares.
Now cheers to real Warriors
It has been reported that the Zimbabwean flag is being raised at afcon by a team from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces that is providing security at the biennial games.
Now this is a hallmark of warriors, being invited to secure such an important assignment.
For being at afcon when the football team is not, the Zimbabwe Commando Anti Terrorism Unit takes the 18-area dotcoms football personality of the week award.
This takes me to a thought that came through as I ferried my 20 litre water container home last Friday.
How many people would raise reservations if Government disbands zifa, we get suspended by fifa and use that time that we are excommunicated by the reportedly corrupt Sepp Blatter and his team to put our house in order?
I wouldn’t.
Va Shagare exits the scene.
VaShagare is the founder of DeMbare Dotcoms and can be contacted on that Facebook page as well as the email [email protected]
