Kudos to Mutasa, Gumbo

27 Aug, 2017 - 00:08 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

18-area.coms with Sir
IN a country where it seems treasonous to declare one’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title ambitions it’s refreshing to have coaches like Lloyd Mutasa and Rahman Gumbo.

The Dynamos and Chicken Inn coaches have been clear on what they are aiming for this season while Norman Mapeza, who behaved strangely when FC Platinum faced Caps United recently, has been speaking in riddles.

Tonderai Ndiraya has been talking of enjoying the journey while Black Rhinos coach Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa sounded like a broken record as he insisted the soldiers were fighting relegation at a time they were on top of the log.

So what did Mapeza do?

Oh well, the FC Platinum coach and his players entered the dressing room back first in what appears to be a stunt heavily influenced by superstition.

Informed sources reveal that Mapeza also reversed his car into Rufaro Stadium.

Is that what they mean by Pure Platinum Play?

And was Walter Magaya onto something when he said Yadah had played a team that had “spent the whole night at a sangoma”?

Dear readers, your guess is as good as mine on this one.

The same can be said when it comes to the destination of this year’s league title!

Ngezi Platinum Stars, Chicken Inn, FC Platinum and good old DeMbare are firmly in it.

Ngezi have done well this term but their defence has been leaky and Ndiraya will have to do something about that as the season heads towards the business end.

The Ngezi Platinum coach could also start talking tough, making his players and the opposition aware that they are in it to win it.

I was disappointed to hear Ndiraya sounding like a United Nations envoy ahead of last weekend’s clash against Makepekepe.

“We don’t want to put ourselves under pressure by talking about any prospects of lifting the title now. We just want to enjoy the competition and talk about the title when the time comes,” Ndiraya was quoted as saying.

Mapeza, on the other hand, has been taking a middle of the road approach.

“We are not yet out of the race, it is just four points away. We shall keep pushing and see what comes out at the end of the season,” he said after his team’s 1-2 defeat to Makepekepe.

But thank God for Gumbo.

“I have never been a pretender and in this race we are not pretenders but contenders. I influence my players in a positive way.

“In the next few weeks just watch how pretenders will be plucked out from the contenders’ circle. But we are title contenders and we are going for it,” the Chicken Inn gaffer said recently.

That’s my type of guy.

This is football.

There is no need for diplomacy.

Any coach who believes that claiming to be fighting relegation from the top of the log relieves pressure from his lads needs a concoction of anointing oil, palm leaves, tsunami and snuff.

Meanwhile, Father has gone through some transformation this year.

The DeMbare gaffer is no longer shedding tears – of joy or otherwise – at the sound of the final whistle.

Mutasa is talking business and last weekend he reminded us there is something special about DeMbare and a year that ends with seven.

“Turning 50 is a milestone, especially in a year that ends with a seven because at Dynamos we attach so much importance to these years,” he said.

“My last championship medal as a Dynamos player came in 1997 and after that the team went for 10 solid years without a league title before David Mandigora won it under difficult conditions in 2007. And this is 2017, our team has found its footing.”

Mutasa and Gumbo are providing interesting sound bites to an already intriguing title race.

Cheers gaffers!

Sir exits the scene!

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