The ManicaPost
ESTEEMED followers of the game of football, thank you for finding time for interaction.
New Year, new things!
Right, Dear Reader?
Agreed?
Well, the year 2017 is only six days old today and sincere friends of the game in Mutare will certainly be hoping for a regeneration of football fortunes for teams in the diamond-mining city.
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s we tucked away 2016 to the consignments of the gone-by era last week, it was an eventful one for Mutare; at least on the football front. Last season had its fair share of highs and lows and it has become hard to ignore several interesting events which occurred; even as we have just turned a new year.
But it will be difficult to pick out, as you will agree, Dear Reader, the most interesting among the entire lot between Mutare City Rovers’ demotion from the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League following only a season-long flirtation in the elite league and the dramatic collapse by Buffaloes as they missed promotion.
Both teams were left to rue missed chances and are counting their losses as they lick the wounds from a season that ended in disappointing fashion. Had GushaBhora stayed up and Ndombolo got elevated back into the top-flight league, it would have capped a memorable year and set the stage up for the first ever Mutare Premiership Derby.
For the city council-run side it was a case of shooting themselves in the foot and subsequently limping heavily for the entire season, while the army outfit failed to make their experience in the Eastern Region Division One count as they were outsprinted at the finishing line by Prophet Walter Magaya’s Yadah. Rovers suffered a stuttering start to their maiden appearance among the big boys and never recovered until their inevitable relegation as did Buffaloes promised so much but delivered so little.
Given that a rural constituency like Tsholotsho has a Premiership side and a small town like Zvishavane is now represented by two teams, it makes for a more compelling case for Mutare.
In the second-tier league, other Mutare-based teams like Tenax and The Africa Trust did just enough to live to fight another season, but were never in the reckoning for promotion; leaving only Buffaloes to fight a lone, losing battle.
In fact, emotions ran high and boiled over after the eruption that followed the Buffaloes versus Tenax seasoning-ending clash in a combat of uniformed forces where the latter was accused of failing to “act in the interest of geography” and grease the formers passage to promotion.
In the middle of last year, the grim reaper whistled as it plucked former Tanganda roving defender Mavhuna ‘Zatando’ Mudare away from our midst (May His Dear Soul Rest In Eternal Peace)! .
Outspoken former Zifa Women Soccer League board member (competitions) Cecilia Gambe was in the eye of a storm when she invaded the pitch during a Mutare City Rovers-How Mine contest at Sakubva and stuck out the middle finger to referee Brighton Chimene in a remonstration gesture to protest against perceived biased officiating against the hosts by the match official.
Away from the below-par teams, some of the diamond-mining city’s sons, however, shone like typical gems.
Sakubva-bred Willard Katsande had a memorable year as the combative midfielder captained the Warriors during their fruitful Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers campaign. Ex-Mutare Boys’ High pupil Phineas Bhamusi won a gold medal with CAPS United after the pacey winger helped the Harare giants to winning the 2016 championship.
Mutare-born defender Liberty Chakoroma also enjoyed a podium finish as he led league debutants Ngezi Platinum Stars to the Chibuku Super Cup glory with a game-winning and man-of-the-match performance, scoring twice in the final. Retired former Fifa panel assistant referee Masimba Chihowa made it into the much-maligned High Performance Committee – a panel comprising experienced coaches tasked by Zifa to provide technical expertise to the Warriors trainers.
In summation, albeit not entirely exhaustive, this is what Yours Truly made of what was of Mutare’s football calendar year in 2016. Let us have yours and share what you feel were some of the major talking points.
Also, where, Dear Reader, do you think we are going wrong in this city in terms of the development of our game?
Or that which you think we have got right?
It’s Game On, Play On!
For feedback, send your views, comments and contributions through WhatsApp or sms on 0733 576 259 or e-mail:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
