The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE National Soccer Supporters Association leader Eddie “Mboma’’ Nyatanga has rallied local football administrators to use the occasion of the country’s 41st Independence celebrations to end bickering and unite to help support the Warriors’ World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations campaigns.
The country marks 41 years of Uhuru today, with a soccer match lined up as part of festivities to commemorate the special day in Zimbabwe’s history.
Nyatanga, who has become a “Godfather’’ of the local game through using experience to mediate in instances where factionalism has threatened development of the game, believes such an important occasion should be used to turn over a new leaf.
A former five-a-side administrator, Nyatanga fears the Warriors 2022 World Cup qualifiers and preparations for AFCON finals in Cameroon might be affected if parties continue to haggle over “petty differences’’.
“We are now 41-years-old as a country, which makes us a very mature nation, but my worry is that we still do not seem to have that maturity on the football front, yet we have seen that maturity in other sectors,” said Nyatanga.
“Football is the country’s biggest sport and we are supposed to lead the way and set an example for all the other sporting disciplines in the way sport is developed, in the way we unite the nation and in the way we do business.
“Sport, the world over, has become big business and our football should be leading in the sport industry.
“But all that football seems to be known for by many people now is that it is a fraternity that is always fighting, always dragging one another to court and most of the fights are over petty issues or personality clashes.”
He said the pull-him-down syndrome that has been affecting football “for too long” has to be exorcised.
“Why don’t we unite in the spirit of Independence that we are celebrating and first give a chance to whoever is in charge, and when they fail we use constitutional means to replace them.
“All the matters that are before the courts should be withdrawn and people (should) come together to focus on developing football not just for the Warriors but the women and the juniors . . . We have a duty to lay the foundation for future generations but we can’t do that if we are always fighting,” he said.
The ongoing roll-out of the vaccination programme, he added, might possibly see fans being gradually allowed back to soccer matches.
Domestic football, including today’s Uhuru Cup final between Dynamos and Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium, will return without fans.
The Warriors have already played two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at home against Algeria and Zambia in any empty stadium.
“Our national team has always thrived with the 12th man — the supporters — and I am hoping that by the time we play Bafana Bafana in the World Cup qualifiers, fans would have been allowed back into the stadium.
“Supporters are ready to play their role and have displayed their unity behind any team that would be representing Zimbabwe, and now it is the turn of the administrators to also come together and help the players and coaches in their cause for this beautiful country of ours,” added Nyatanga.
With their place at AFCON guaranteed, the Warriors next major assignment is to take a crack at the World Cup, with the first stage of the qualifiers demanding that they come out tops in a group that includes former African champions Ghana and South Africa, as well fast-improving Ethiopia.
Skipper Knowledge Musona and his troops will begin their World Cup adventure with a home clash against rivals Bafana Bafana on the weekend of June 5 to June 8.
Only table-toppers in each pool will qualify for the third round, where all 10 group winners will be drawn into five home-and-away ties.
The winners of each tie will then advance to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, at which five teams will represent Africa.
