Opinion / Columnist
F.C Platinum Moneybags or Scumbags!
17 Aug 2011 at 13:13hrs | Views
When Zimbabwe Saints went marching with a begging bowl, the "Moneybags" raided the City of Kings in search of "Glory". Can money buy success? The stinking rich F.C Platinum from the shantty town of Shurugwi has been the noisemakers this season(2011) after getting promoted to the elite PSL Castle Lager League. Enter Super Saints after going on Sabbatical on the lower echealons of Zimbabwean football. "Two Sides of my story" as Culture puts it.
The script for the two sides read like this before their epic encounter at White City Stadium via Barbourfields. The beggers and the mighty or filthy rich, quality against quantity. Were the beggers going to pick the bread crumbs off the table of the spacious? Battle lines drawn-David vs Goliath. Wait a minute! Who is David who is Goliath here? By virtue of being the second oldest club in the country after Highlanders, Zimbabwe Saints were undeniably the Goliath of this affair.
How money can armtwist the status in our society. All has now changed F.C Platinum because of their fat pockets became the Goliath and Super Saints with their begging bowl became the David in this bout. Just recently dumped out of the CBZ Cup in 2007 by Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Division Two side Ajax Hotspurs, F.C Platinum then known as Mimosa F.C were a team in ascendency. They were strategically positioning themselves for rebranding and they have indeed taken the football fraternity by storm. They are the Real Madrid, Chelsea or Manchester City of this country.
Enter the technical side of the story. The Reinhard Fabisch's Dream Team era is revived. Ephraim "Rock of Gilbrater" Chawanda versus Rahman " Rush" Gumbo
What a setting and a humdinger of a match was on our hands. Chawanda could feel the "rush" as F.C Platinum went about hunting in search of prey. Super Saints were "rock solid" in defence with Dumisani "Fazo" Ndlovu and Nkosilathi Dube defending like their lives depended on the White City turf giving cover to impressive Munyaradzi Diya. Was Super Saints going to be "segmented and fragmented" by the unkind weather thrown at them? Alas they proved otherwise and the blood kept "rushing" in Rahman Gumbo's veins for he knew very well that any other result other than a win will see the flamboyant Eric Rosen driven defending champions Motor Action jumping back into the driving seat after beating Highlanders the previous day.
A closer look into the statistics will show that Super Saints could have stolen victory had they been more composed in front of goals. Meanwhile the stands were a hive of activity as F.C Platinum brought colour with them as their fans were well dressed in club colours and drumming up support for their lads to bring the championship to the mining town of Shurugwi.
F.C Platinum Team Doctor/Medic was the striking strange aspect of the technical bench. The lad was clad in a designer suit which defied logic why he is the medical person of the team.Was F.C Platinum showy here that they have the money? Honestly this man was expected to sprint the length of the field to attend to an injury? Food for thought Money Bags because that became the moomiesh of your side.
Back to the field of play the two sides outran, outfoxed and outwitted each other but the goals could not come. Super Saints were singing for this was indeed victory to them considering their pockets and off-field crisis. They had shown everyone that they have what it takes if their house is put in order.
For F.C Platinum for their hype, they left Bulawayo as "Scumbags" as was proven by Zimbabwe Saints that they are just an ordinary side off-cause with an array of stars. Indeed the platinum miners have changed the face of football in the country and their professional approach can only but help develop the popular sport in the country.
The resultant draw sets up a perfect stage for F.C Platinum's return to Bulawayo on Wednesday to clash with the oldest club in the Country Highlanders. Can Ezikamagebhula teach the platinum miners a football lesson or they will falter where it matters most at their own fortress.
The script for the two sides read like this before their epic encounter at White City Stadium via Barbourfields. The beggers and the mighty or filthy rich, quality against quantity. Were the beggers going to pick the bread crumbs off the table of the spacious? Battle lines drawn-David vs Goliath. Wait a minute! Who is David who is Goliath here? By virtue of being the second oldest club in the country after Highlanders, Zimbabwe Saints were undeniably the Goliath of this affair.
How money can armtwist the status in our society. All has now changed F.C Platinum because of their fat pockets became the Goliath and Super Saints with their begging bowl became the David in this bout. Just recently dumped out of the CBZ Cup in 2007 by Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Division Two side Ajax Hotspurs, F.C Platinum then known as Mimosa F.C were a team in ascendency. They were strategically positioning themselves for rebranding and they have indeed taken the football fraternity by storm. They are the Real Madrid, Chelsea or Manchester City of this country.
Enter the technical side of the story. The Reinhard Fabisch's Dream Team era is revived. Ephraim "Rock of Gilbrater" Chawanda versus Rahman " Rush" Gumbo
What a setting and a humdinger of a match was on our hands. Chawanda could feel the "rush" as F.C Platinum went about hunting in search of prey. Super Saints were "rock solid" in defence with Dumisani "Fazo" Ndlovu and Nkosilathi Dube defending like their lives depended on the White City turf giving cover to impressive Munyaradzi Diya. Was Super Saints going to be "segmented and fragmented" by the unkind weather thrown at them? Alas they proved otherwise and the blood kept "rushing" in Rahman Gumbo's veins for he knew very well that any other result other than a win will see the flamboyant Eric Rosen driven defending champions Motor Action jumping back into the driving seat after beating Highlanders the previous day.
A closer look into the statistics will show that Super Saints could have stolen victory had they been more composed in front of goals. Meanwhile the stands were a hive of activity as F.C Platinum brought colour with them as their fans were well dressed in club colours and drumming up support for their lads to bring the championship to the mining town of Shurugwi.
F.C Platinum Team Doctor/Medic was the striking strange aspect of the technical bench. The lad was clad in a designer suit which defied logic why he is the medical person of the team.Was F.C Platinum showy here that they have the money? Honestly this man was expected to sprint the length of the field to attend to an injury? Food for thought Money Bags because that became the moomiesh of your side.
Back to the field of play the two sides outran, outfoxed and outwitted each other but the goals could not come. Super Saints were singing for this was indeed victory to them considering their pockets and off-field crisis. They had shown everyone that they have what it takes if their house is put in order.
For F.C Platinum for their hype, they left Bulawayo as "Scumbags" as was proven by Zimbabwe Saints that they are just an ordinary side off-cause with an array of stars. Indeed the platinum miners have changed the face of football in the country and their professional approach can only but help develop the popular sport in the country.
The resultant draw sets up a perfect stage for F.C Platinum's return to Bulawayo on Wednesday to clash with the oldest club in the Country Highlanders. Can Ezikamagebhula teach the platinum miners a football lesson or they will falter where it matters most at their own fortress.
Source - ajaxhotspurs
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
