The Sunday Mail
Charles Mabika On The Ball
HELLO once again, to all you lovely owners of the game!
The English Oxford dictionary defines the word “superstition” as “a belief that events can be influenced by certain acts or circumstances that have no demonstrable connection with them”. The recent events at Gwanzura Stadium in a local Premiership clash between hosts Caps United and Buffaloes, where a bottle of urine was first thrown onto the pitch by some unruly “Makepekepe” supporters and then more of the human waste substance being sprinkled on the visiting team’s technical bench at half-time is very sad indeed for our beautiful game.
More so when two players – Hardlife Zvirekwi and Blessing Zabula – are allegedly implicated in the fiasco in the latter incident.
The matter is now in the hands of the Premier Soccer League’s disciplinary committee.
But for how long will our football leaders, officials, players and us, “the owners of the game” continue to believe in such superstitious flops?
Oh, yes, many of us are also to blame!
Can anybody out there raise a hand – or both hands – to deny that they don’t believe in one or two supernatural and outrageous fallacies for their favourite team’s good fortune and eventual victory?
Of course, there are also many among us who don’t believe in these damp squibs.
I have seen these unbelievable and melodramatic actions for a long time now that I sometimes suddenly find myself chuckling away at some of them!
Remember when some unruly Dynamos’ fans threw bottles laden with urine at Harare City’s coach Bigboy “ABC” Mawiwi last season as he walked towards his team’s technical bench before a league tie at Rufaro?
Poor Mawiwi. He faced the same distasteful ritual at Mandava a few weeks later from some hooligan and superstitious FC Platinum fans before another league match.
Sometime back in the 90s, it had to take a gutsy decision from one former PSL secretary-general named Chris Sibanda to severely instruct that all teams should use the designated entry points for a match. This was after we were subjected to players scaling the stadium’s fences or driving their team buses onto the pitch for fear of opposition “juju”!
Amanahere?Askanahere?
We are so lucky that our major sponsors – Mbada Diamonds, Delta Beverages, BancABC and Net One – with the tireless effort s of Twine Phiri, have continued to be driven solely by their undying passion and love of the game to put up with such disgraceful antics.
If anyone out there can convince me that if a bottle of urine had been thrown at the late Joel “Jubilee” Shambo before a match, we would not have been privy to behold his wondrous chest control or bewildering ball-juggling manoeuvres, then I should not have been born into the world of football!
If anyone out there can convince me that if a bottle of urine had been thrown at the late Adam “Adamski” Ndlovu before a match then we would not have been a privy to behold his predatory yearn for chilling finishes in front of goal and infectious smile that followed, then I should not have been born into the world of football!
Thus, we all need to educate one another on the impotence of superstition and start believing in the pragmatic school’s thought of hard work at training, astute and tactical leadership from administrators and coaches and above all, for supporters to pray to the Almighty for their team’s triumph and to realise that everybody is a winner until there are two of us!
Maybe this piece of history and fact might convince those doubting Thomases and Alices still in our midst:
During the 1974 World Cup Finals tournament in West Germany, Africa’s sole representatives, the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as Zaire) were accompanied by a few “witch doctors” to ensure a good run there.
It all went horribly wrong because it didn’t work! In their first match, Zaire, who were in Group 2, lost to Scotland 2-0 in their first match.
They were then mauled by Yugoslavia 9-0 before being thumped by Brazil 3-0!
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The man they call “KK” at Highlanders – coach Kelvin Kaindu – is destined to leave the “City of Kings and Queens” for an attractive offer to coach the Zambian Under-23 2016 Olympics squad.
I know that all “Bosso” supporters have been left devastated by this sad development because there’s no doubting that this affable gaffer’s shrewdness and tactical strategies during his tenure at the Bulawayo giants paid handsome dividends.
Yes, Highlanders’ loss is definitely “Young Chipolopolo’s” gain.
But I think that there should be capable replacements from the “Bosso” family to take over the reins.
The names that immediately come to mind are the club’s former, loyal sons — Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo, Rahman Gumbo, Madinda and Peter Ndlovu(if they can persuade them to leave Botswana and South Africa respectively where they are coaching).
Like “The Member-In-Charge” – MasimbaDinyero – said after he had been axed by his long-time friend, Lloyd “Samaita” Mutasa as his assistant at FC Platinum earlier this week: “Life has to go on”.
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I still maintain that this year’s European Champions’ League final will feature defending champions, Bayern Munich and surprise packages, Atletico Madrid.
Yes, Chelsea did extremely well by “parking the bus” and acquiring a 0-0 draw in the away first leg, setting up an advantageous return leg at Stanford Bridge on Wednesday night.
And, oh yes, Karim Benzema scored what appears to be a precious goal for real Madrid which turned out to be the winner at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg and sets “Los Blancos” in good stead for the return leg.
But, hey, take a look at this historical snippet: For the past six years in the world’s most lucrative club competition, the team that has knocked out mighty Barcelona has made it all the way to the final . . . and gone on to win it!
Manchester United did it in 2008; Inter Milan in 2010; Chelsea in 2012; and Bayern Munich last year. In-between that period, “Barca” won the title twice – in 2009 and 2011.
Now, don’t tell me history doesn’t count!
And now to the English Premiership’s title race: If Chelsea’s coach, Jose Mourinho keeps true to his word of “handing the title to Liverpool” at Anfield today, then it’s almost over and the thousands of Zimbabweans who support “The Reds” can start celebrating now!
So, its makorokoto, amhlope to the likes of Joseph Goromonzi, EliahMurahwa, Bheki Nyoni, David Mandigora, Sam and Joze Mabika, Tonde Marime, Barry Manandi and Mike Madoda!
Indeed, 24 years was a long time to wait wasn’t it? Or could I have spoken sooner?
Let’s wait and see . . .
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WHAT’s in a name?
Well, not much, most of us will say . . . until your first name and surname are similar!
Back in the 80s, a former Arcadia United goalkeeper had that . . . now, what do you call it: “problem” perhaps?
His name was Charles Charles. But he quickly found a solution.
He decided to call himself Double Charles!
Till next week, remember to take care of your loved ones and each other!
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