The Sunday Mail
SUNDAY “MHOFU” CHIDZAMBWA is a legend and on a day like this one thinks twice about taking the first coach to lead Zimbabwe to the Africa Cup of Nations to the cleaners.
Well I have thought more than twice about this one and have decided to shoot ahead.
The idea was to try and go light, write a piece that would let everyone enjoy a comfortable Christmas but something happened and the spirit took over.
This one instalment I am writing in hope, hope that it will be published.
It’s like a will if you are reading it means one thing.
No I am not dead silly; it just means that the sports editor and his bosses have been won over by my argument.
You see a column like this one creates enemies and each instalment triggers its fair share of brickbats that unfortunately land on the wrong head.
So the plan was to give you dear reader “a feel good piece”.
However, Chidzambwa waded into the debate over the exclusion of Petros Mhari from the provisional Afcon squad.
The veteran gaffer defended Kallisto Pasuwa’s shocking selection and gave us an idea of who he thinks is the best goalkeeper in the land.
“I actually feel that Takabva (Mawaya) is the best goalkeeper in the land…,” Chidzambwa told The Herald this past week.
Now who is Takabva Mawaya?
He is a ZPC Kariba goalie who spent most of the just ended season acting as cover for Tendai Hove but still made into the Warriors’ Afcon provisional squad.
Mawaya, Tatenda Mukuruva, Donovan Bernard and Nelson Chadya got the nod from Pasuwa ahead of 2016 goalkeeper of the year and Soccer Star of the Year finalist Mhari.
The national team gaffer has his reasons for omitting Mhari and they have to be respected.
However, it’s a bit mischievous of Chidzambwa to claim that Mawaya is the best goalie in the land.
If indeed Mawaya is the best in Mhofu’s eyes why wasn’t the boy a permanent feature between the ZPC Kariba goalposts during the 2016 Premiership season?
And just out of interest who did Chidzambwa vote as the goalkeeper of the year during the Castle Lager Soccer Stars of the Year selection indaba in Harare earlier this month?
Good people of God, Chidzambwa – the coach who wants us to believe that he rates Mawaya as the best in the land – voted for Petroes Mhari as the goalkeeper of the year.
Mhofu also included the FC Platinum skipper on his best XI players for 2016 list.
He even had Mhari among his top three.
Why didn’t Chidzambwa vote for Mawaya, “the best goalkeeper in the land”?
In his bid to appear as solidly behind Pasuwa the ZPC Kariba gaffer went overboard and talked himself into a hot spot.
Look he had done well to urge the nation to rally behind the national team gaffer and the team he selected for Afcon but terribly lost the plot when made the Mawaya claim.
Prophet Makandiwa once taught about “Runyararo Primary School”, an imaginary place where people are schooled to shut up when “they don’t know what is happening.”
Pasuwa himself is unconvincing when he explains his decision to snub Mhari and Chidzambwa is better advised to employ the “Runyararo Primary School” approach on this one.
God knows I really wanted to go light on a day we celebrate the birth His only begotten Son but sometimes it seizes me, throws me to the ground and I foam at the mouth.
Sir exits the scene!
Sir is social media commentator and writes this satirical column in his personal capacity. Feedback [email protected]
