The Sunday Mail
Sir: 18area.coms
CDE CHINOZ was fuming in Parliament last Wednesday and every soccer lover must have shared his anger as the Warriors’ pathetic Africa Cup of Nations showing took centre stage.
My Buhera homeboy Joseph Chinotimba asked Sports and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane if there was a possibility of the Warriors repaying some of the money they got for participating at Afcon. (We can’t say the Warriors competed at Afcon as there was nothing competitive about this bunch of pretenders who toyed with our emotions and got handsomely rewarded for it.)
I felt the pain of my homeboy – me being from Nerutanga and Chinoz being from further up.
“My supplementary question is that when you gave money to the Warriors what was your target?” the Buhera South legislator asked Hlongwane.
“You targeted one month but they were only there for four games (it was three, actually) and did not complete a month. Where is the money? They should return it because the money that you gave them was for accommodation but they did not use all the money.
“So, this House is saying they should bring back the change since they did not stay a full month. Where is the money? They should return it.”
Certainly one gets the feeling the Warriors were not worthy recipients of the over US$20 000 they each received for the Gabon mission.
Revelations by Hlongwane that the boys threatened not to fulfill the game against Senegal unless they were paid a US$3 000 draw bonus for the 2-all tie against Algeria had me lugubrious.
The contract between Zifa and the players was mum on a bonus draw but the Warriors held the soccer governing body hostage in a foreign land and got paid US$3 000 each for dropping two points against the Desert Foxes.
Now isn’t this the behaviour of mercenaries like Makomborero put it the other week?
What is a mercenary dear Google?
A mercenary is “primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics”, says a dictionary on the search engine.
From where I sit, the boys who went to Gabon were more concerned with lining their pockets than defending the national flag and its famous bird.
You should have seen them as they arrived at Harare International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, strutting like they conquered the continent.
Yet this bunch – claimed by some to be the golden generation – is the worst group we have ever sent to Afcon. They returned winless and shameless. No sincere apology for the pain they caused us. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
Thankfully, Willard Katsande is on his way out.
The guy never struck me as a true leader. Yes he stands out heads above the rest physically, but his leadership qualities have always been suspect.
When the Warriors needed direction in Gabon, Katsande was found wanting on and off the park.
One of the biggest mysteries of this forgettable Afcon campaign is that the outgoing captain played all three group matches the full 90 minutes.
As a new dawn approaches with Kallisto Pasuwa set to leave, Zifa needs to get to the bottom of the Warriors mess and ensure that only players who believe in doing duty for the nation continue to wear that prized gold kit.
Knowledge Musona was treated like a criminal by Zifa with former chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze stammering into stupidity in a desperate bid to paint the striker as a match-fixer.
Musona briefly dumped the national team but came back into the fold and continues to be our leading light: humble and patriotic.
I don’t know who the next coach will be but the Smiling Assasin is a prime candidate for the captain’s armband.
Sadly I cannot say the same about Mathew Rusike, a cute lad who seems intent on stealing a living as a footballer.
For a man who was at the forefront of waging the allowances war, Rusike dismally failed to walk the talk in Gabon.
Sir exits the scene!
Sir is social media commentator and writes this satirical column in his personal capacity. Feedback: [email protected]
