Opinion / Columnist
ZIFA got what it bargained for, it fixed the game
05 Jun 2012 at 02:48hrs | Views
ZIFA has done it again. They have nobody to blame but themselves. What sense did ZIFA made of failing to listen from football fans and players who were calling for the dumping of the National Sport Stadium(NSS) in favour of Rufaro.
Fans and players were in agreement before the match that the Zimbabwe-Guinea match has to be played in the ceremonial home of football-Rufaro but ZIFA with its dictatorship concept chose not to hear crying voices which were in the wilderness.
The writing was on the wall before the match that ZIFA had already fixed this important match and now is the time for them to explain to us why it chose the NSS when Rufaro was ready for the big match.
We read even in the papers that the Warriors were unable to fulfill some of their training schedule at the NSS because the grounds men were busy filling up patches with new grass.
ZIFA conspired to hurt the Zimbabwe diehard football supporters who are always on the receiving end because of some of the ZIFA's preventable blunders but which it always chooses to ignore.
A lot has been happening in the country whenever our national team, the most followed team in the country is preparing for crucial matches. ZIFA is known for making last minute decisions which later turn to haunt the fans and the national team if such decisions fail to give expected results.
This time around ZIFA saw it fit to hurt the Zimbabweans by ignoring to listen to the crying voices from the wilderness in which even the deaf heard such cries.
Players and fans were all in agreement that Rufaro was a suitable venue for the big match but ZIFA which has become the chief architect in hurting the football fans in the country chose to keep on disappointing football supporters.
ZIFA's decision to make the NSS the preferred venue instead of Rufaro stadium was the worst decision which would come to haunt the Warriors and the fans, come Brazil 2014.
It defies the logic why ZIFA thinks that it can make ultimate decisions failing to heed advices from other stakeholders in the football fraternity.
The way how ZIFA handled that debacle was a surprise to everyone who cares in this "most beautiful game" as Pele the former Brazilian football great puts it.. Now they must explain to the nation why they disappointed the fans at the time when victory was so imminent.
It was disheartening to see our beloved Warriors failing to defend their home ground when it was necessary for them to do so.
In actual fact, it was surprising to note that, while the fans had not forgiven ZIFA over the way how they handled the Zimbabwe-Cape Verde game two years ago, they were at it again on that black Sunday(03June 2012).
Why ZIFA chose to defy the players' and fans' pleas for the big match to be played in Rufaro where the surface is good, still remains a mystery?
In January to February 2012, we were made to support other teams which featured in the Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea because of ZIFA's mistakes.
Had ZIFA managed to stick to one coach, Norman Mapeza during the qualifying rounds to the 2012, AFCON finals, probably the team could have qualified to go and dance with other top African teams in the finals.
Norman Mapeza who had then made the nation proud and hopeful of a place in the Nation Cup Finals by making his troops hold the Lone Stars of Liberia in their backyard was relegated to a lesser position in which he was made to share ideas of how the team can play against Cape Verde with Madhinda Ndlovu.
The Zimbabwe-Cape Verde match spoiled the Warriors' campaign and now the nation had already seen the results of another deadly blunder by ZIFA on Sunday, where the Warriors were beaten by Guinea at the doomed NSS.
For how long is the nation going to witness such ZIFA blunders making us scout for teams to support in major cup tournaments which our beloved Warriors are ever sidelined?
Zambia are now the African Champions because of good organizational approach of football matters by those with clear conscience on the beautiful game.
Probably this country needs our football greats to lead the ZIFA board for us to see success. Zambia managed to be there because of football decisions from their Great Football Hero, Kalusha Bwala.
If Benjani Mwaruwari can manage to organize a Ceremonial match for himself with success, what can stop him and other football greats churned out from this country to organize better things for our national team?
Please Peter Ndlovu, Benjani Mwaruwari, Moses Chunga and you others, do not sit back and relax while we are being starved of success by clueless leaders occupying positions at no 150 Livingstone Avenue. We need you guys, come to our assistance, the boat is sinking.
----------------
Mukachana Hanyani…Harare.
Fans and players were in agreement before the match that the Zimbabwe-Guinea match has to be played in the ceremonial home of football-Rufaro but ZIFA with its dictatorship concept chose not to hear crying voices which were in the wilderness.
The writing was on the wall before the match that ZIFA had already fixed this important match and now is the time for them to explain to us why it chose the NSS when Rufaro was ready for the big match.
We read even in the papers that the Warriors were unable to fulfill some of their training schedule at the NSS because the grounds men were busy filling up patches with new grass.
ZIFA conspired to hurt the Zimbabwe diehard football supporters who are always on the receiving end because of some of the ZIFA's preventable blunders but which it always chooses to ignore.
A lot has been happening in the country whenever our national team, the most followed team in the country is preparing for crucial matches. ZIFA is known for making last minute decisions which later turn to haunt the fans and the national team if such decisions fail to give expected results.
This time around ZIFA saw it fit to hurt the Zimbabweans by ignoring to listen to the crying voices from the wilderness in which even the deaf heard such cries.
Players and fans were all in agreement that Rufaro was a suitable venue for the big match but ZIFA which has become the chief architect in hurting the football fans in the country chose to keep on disappointing football supporters.
ZIFA's decision to make the NSS the preferred venue instead of Rufaro stadium was the worst decision which would come to haunt the Warriors and the fans, come Brazil 2014.
It defies the logic why ZIFA thinks that it can make ultimate decisions failing to heed advices from other stakeholders in the football fraternity.
The way how ZIFA handled that debacle was a surprise to everyone who cares in this "most beautiful game" as Pele the former Brazilian football great puts it.. Now they must explain to the nation why they disappointed the fans at the time when victory was so imminent.
It was disheartening to see our beloved Warriors failing to defend their home ground when it was necessary for them to do so.
In actual fact, it was surprising to note that, while the fans had not forgiven ZIFA over the way how they handled the Zimbabwe-Cape Verde game two years ago, they were at it again on that black Sunday(03June 2012).
Why ZIFA chose to defy the players' and fans' pleas for the big match to be played in Rufaro where the surface is good, still remains a mystery?
In January to February 2012, we were made to support other teams which featured in the Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea because of ZIFA's mistakes.
Had ZIFA managed to stick to one coach, Norman Mapeza during the qualifying rounds to the 2012, AFCON finals, probably the team could have qualified to go and dance with other top African teams in the finals.
Norman Mapeza who had then made the nation proud and hopeful of a place in the Nation Cup Finals by making his troops hold the Lone Stars of Liberia in their backyard was relegated to a lesser position in which he was made to share ideas of how the team can play against Cape Verde with Madhinda Ndlovu.
The Zimbabwe-Cape Verde match spoiled the Warriors' campaign and now the nation had already seen the results of another deadly blunder by ZIFA on Sunday, where the Warriors were beaten by Guinea at the doomed NSS.
For how long is the nation going to witness such ZIFA blunders making us scout for teams to support in major cup tournaments which our beloved Warriors are ever sidelined?
Zambia are now the African Champions because of good organizational approach of football matters by those with clear conscience on the beautiful game.
Probably this country needs our football greats to lead the ZIFA board for us to see success. Zambia managed to be there because of football decisions from their Great Football Hero, Kalusha Bwala.
If Benjani Mwaruwari can manage to organize a Ceremonial match for himself with success, what can stop him and other football greats churned out from this country to organize better things for our national team?
Please Peter Ndlovu, Benjani Mwaruwari, Moses Chunga and you others, do not sit back and relax while we are being starved of success by clueless leaders occupying positions at no 150 Livingstone Avenue. We need you guys, come to our assistance, the boat is sinking.
----------------
Mukachana Hanyani…Harare.
Source - Mukachana Hanyani
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