The ManicaPost
DOMESTIC Premiership teams Ngezi Platinum and CAPS United will be in the trenches this weekend not only for the pride of their clubs but for the nation as a whole.
It is certainly going to be an exciting weekend for the football crazy nation as Ngezi Platinum start the ball rolling tomorrow (Saturday) with a date against Angolan side Clube Recreativo Desportivo do Lobilo before CAPS United takes to the field of play against TP Mazembe on Sunday.
The Green Machine will be fighting to progress to the next stage of the CAF Champions League while Ngezi Platinum will be battling to secure a group stage ticket in the Total 2017 CAF Confederations Cup tournament.
The Total 2017 CAF Confederations Cup and the CAF Champions League are two of Africa’s biggest club football competitions that any other nation on the continent would take pride to have their clubs not only represented but also succeed.
It is against this background that we find reason in giving support to both Zimbabwean representatives in these two competitions, for the sake of our fatherland.
For ordinary Zimbabwean football lovers, this goes beyond club affiliation and it is the pride of the nation at stake more than anything else.
Domestic football club rivalry makes the game exciting when the league gets underway but at this stage we are all bound by our identity as Zimbabweans.
If Makepekepe win the CAF Champions League 2017 edition, history will record that a Zimbabwean football club won the tournament before the identity of the club is mentioned hence the need to rally behind these two teams as they partake in such continental football competitions.
That Zimbabwe is a football crazy nation is beyond reproach albeit failing to make a huge impact on the international stage for a number of reasons.
This undoubtedly should be a source of inspiration to both teams representing Zimbabwe as the success starved fans badly need something to cheer their souls with.
More importantly, after the painful group stage exit of the senior men national team in the recent Africa Cup of Nations, CAPS United and Ngezi could atone for the forgettable Afcon 2017 experience.
It is encouraging to note that both CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum scored some crucial away goals in the reverse fixtures that could end up making a difference in the final aggregate.
Their performances in the reverse fixtures was ample evidence that our standards of football are not way below fellow African countries given that, for example, our 2016 domestic Premiership champions CAPS United managed to hold five time CAF Champions League winners TP Mazembe in their own backyard.
For the record, performances in the Confederations Cup and the CAF Champions League can easily be used as a barometer to measure the standard of the game of football in a particular African country.
It is now incumbent upon the players and coaches at CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum never to underestimate their opponents or be complacent simply because they are playing at home.
Football has evolved over the years and home advantage can cease to be an advantage if the players on the field of play do not apply their minds to action on the field.
It is also imperative to note that players must be aware of the fact that above average performance would be a big favour for their own careers as international scouts are usually interested in individual player performances in such matches.
We sincerely hope that the match officials will give us a good game by not letting themselves be the 12th player of any team, not even for CAPS United or Ngezi Platinum.
We wish CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum all the best!
