ON THE BALL: Stop Chiredzi madness

On the Ball
JUST what the heck is going on at Chiredzi FC? Recent reports paint a very sad state of affairs at the Lowveld club — nicknamed Pamuuyu — who are languishing perilously at the foot of the Castle Lager Premiership log.

There is definitely bad blood between the clubs’ head coach Moses “Bambo” Chunga and chairman Charles Muchatukwa.

Early last week, Muchatukwa chaired a Press conference where he revealed that his executive had resolved to fire the former Warriors skipper for “among other things, insubordination.”

Less than 24 hours later, Bambo hit back scoffing at that decision, claiming that he was, in actual fact, the club’s director and chief negotiator of the franchise that enabled Chiredzi to play top-flight football after their former sponsor, Hippo Valley Estates, had pulled out citing financial difficulties.

Now that scenario is, indeed, so sad and disturbing for all stakeholders, especially the Chiredzi community who still throng Chishamiso Stadium, the team’s home venue, hoping for better fortunes for their beloved side.

Indeed, it’s no secret that Bambo has travelled across the whole country looking for sponsorship for his project and were it not for his belligerence, Pamuuyu would have folded before the start of the season.

The club desperately needs all its leaders to be moving in one direction if there’s any hope of surviving the chop at the end of the season and, more importantly, attract corporate sponsorship.

Pamuuyu players have not been paid anything meaningful since the season started and we should actually applaud the team’s skipper Fidelis Mangezi and his troops for continuing to soldier on in this curtailing environment.

I’m one of those few who disagreed with the notion that this project would not hold its own in the Premiership and would be relegated at the end of the year.

I’m still sticking to my belief in Chiredzi’s surviva,l provided the two warring sides forget about their personal differences and realise that the Chiredzi community and football in general will be the real winners at the end of it all.
Don’t we all know that centuries-old adage: “United we stand, divided we fall”?

I still believe in my assessment of the reason for Africa’s downfall at Brazil 2014 as the despicable, egocentric mannerisms of those foreign-based players like Cameroon’s Alex Song and Benoit Assou-Ekoto and Ghana’s Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng as well as our lack of mental and tactical strength on and off the pitch.

However, I also share Cote d’Ivoire talisman Yaya Toure’s claim that the referees who handled matches involving African teams were all out to make sure that they would not progress further than the early stages of the tournament.

The blatant officiating of Ecuadorian referee Carlos Vera in the Elephants’ 1-2 loss to Greece when he made that diabolical decision to award a penalty kick to the latter after Giorgios Samaras took a tumble following a slight touch by Ivorian midfielder Giovanni Sio is still one of the most shameful acts ever seen on a football pitch.

And in another match, when United States referee Mark Geiger completely ignored the elbowing charge on Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel by France’s Olivier Giroud and the bludgeoning downward leap by Blaise Matuldi on Ogenyi Onazi (who was stretchered off and never returned and is reportedly out of action for two months), it really smacked of what has been termed by the great Diego Maradona as the “racist actions of the FIFA mafia syndicate”!

Toure is right, again, when he claims that “nobody cares for Africa” because the eliminations of all the African teams — especially those of the Super Eagles and the Elephants — have been swept under the carpet.

No wonder why FIFA are dragging their own feet in increasing the slots for Africa’s representation at future World Cup tournaments. They are afraid that all this bias against us will come out more in the open!

But in the Almighty we continue to trust because all shall be well.

I have been finding time during some of the past Saturdays to watch the World Navi Northern Region Division One matches and have been very impressed.

So far, I have watched the following sides in action: Flame Lily, One Commando Bullets, Mushowani Stars, Gunners, Bindura United, ZRP Morris, Starbill, DStv Rangers, ZRP Black Mambas and Karoi United.

Although I do not share the belief in the myth that Division One football is more competitive than the Premiership, the finishing in front of goal in the former is definitely more devastating. And, oh, by the way, if you haven’t watched the predatory instincts of Gunners’ forward Moses “Thunder” Demera yet, “you ain’t seen nothing yet”!

I also loved the melodious lyrics and gyrating dance moves displayed by the Bindura United cheering supporters in their team’s clash against DStv Rangers a fortnight ago at Old Hararians Sports Club! “MaSalads” (Rangers) won 1-0.

There is also another interesting spectacle where some former top-flight players who had been written off in some quarters are defying those critics.

I have really been relishing the inspirational play of “old timers” like Brighton Chandisaita, Earnmore Hamandishe and Lloyd Nyamadzawo (Flame Lily), Daniel Zokoto (Karoi United), Daniel Kamunhenga (Bindura United) and Brighton Tuwaya (DStv Rangers).

Some of these guys can still turn heads in the Premiership.

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