Making the game look sad, cruel

ESTEEMED followers of the game of football, thank you for finding time for interaction.

Football has become big global business, what with its power to cut across all the divides that has a cosmopolitan appeal.

The game, however, also has its downside as events of this past week prove.

Well, Dear Reader, allow Yours Truly to gloat a bit and blow his own trumpet a while!

Is it not that last week’s insertion moaned about how coaches, and players sometimes, were criminally undervalued or grossly unappreciated – as does journalism to scribes at times?

Yes, Gamechanger wrote so last week.

Now, this week’s piece will delve deeper.

And coming hot on the heels of that article is an interesting story penned by my “partner-in-crime” Ray Bande, one that was as moving as it was engaging and ran under the headline: “Shame on you, Zifa” and made the back page of The Manica Post of last week.

It was a thought-provoking piece, enduring even, whose read-worthiness weighed in pure gold.

Friday Football Echoes will this week, therefore, borrow from that article by my comrade-in-arms, Bande – a staunch Arsenal follower who often brags about the aesthetics his Gunners add to the already beautiful game – as it is only natural as it is perfectly normal that I pick up on it.

Abridged, Bande’s story critiqued the absence of Zifa, especially the Eastern Region administration, or their representatives, at the funeral procession of the late Buffaloes left-back Simbarashe “Smallie” Nyauzima (MHDSRIEP) as even the public joined in as mourners briefly passed through Sakubva Stadium.

Uncharitable as the grim reapers itself . . .

Why Zifa’s Eastern Region office chose not to commiserate with one of its affiliates, Buffaloes, only their warped wisdom can explain.

Not even a representative from the association!

Not even a condolences message – at the time – to show solidarity!

Was Zifa Eastern Region too busy to mourn one of its own?

Does that not make the late player feel rebuffed even in death?

The association was absent in both deed and word when Buffaloes, Nyauzima’s family as well as his relatives, friends and fans were in need of the mother body’s consolation.

That was so mean-spirited of Zifa. Anyway, Gamechanger is no saint at all that stands on high moral ground to judge others, but is Zifa’s conscience not eating at them?

It, however, would be utterly remiss of Yours Truly to not doff his hat to all those who played their bit part during Nyauzima’s funeral – thanks lots everyone who paid their last respects in sending off “Smallie” on his journey to the final destination.

Be gentlemen enough, Widzo and Gazzaman . . .

So Warriors captain, Willard “Widzo” Katsande and ex-star, Alois “Gazzaman” Bunjira have not disbursed yet the prize money that teams who took part in their respective junior tournaments won?

What is the hold up in the payouts – some months down the line after the events were held – some may ask.

Bunjira’s tournament was held last December, while Katsande’s took place earlier in June.

While the efforts of these two friends of the game must be hailed for trying to promote the game at grassroots level, their “dishonesty” can, however, not go unchallenged.

“Dishonesty” in that the handlers of the concerned clubs have been crying foul, citing that Katsande and Bunjira have become evasive and keep shift- ing goalposts as regards paying them their dues.

It must be really frustrating for the teams in question, one can guess.

Also, “dishonesty” in that if everything had been properly handled and was under control then there would not have been this outcry.

But how would Katsande feel when he returns home for holiday from his South African base and youths in Sakubva, where he grew up, point accusing fingers at him as still owing them their outstanding dues?

Throwing vitriol his way, even, that: “Ndiye Willard Katsande uya uyo usuruuda kutibhadhara mare dzedu dzetakawinner kutournament yake,” as he will be driving around in his SUV?

With the two having firsthand experience as footballers, we certainly expect better from them.

By the way, were these tournaments merely publicity stunts meant to paint these two football personalities in a positive light as being committed and contributing to the development of junior football?

Come on, Widzo and Gazzaman; these teams earned what they are now asking for and they are entitled to it. What of the time, energy and resources these junior clubs invested into participating at your tournaments?

Please, just own up to your promises and deliver.

Do not give a bad name to football, please!

. . . and another coach gets the sack! Just as Friday Football Echoes was last week commiserating with history-making Mighty Warriors coach, Shadreck Mlauzi for being unfairly treated by his employers, another odds-defying gaffer Claudio Ranieri was being shown the exit door at Leicester City.

For all he did last season, during which he eternalised the English Premier League misfits into British football folklore, the Italian tactician absolutely deserved better treatment by the club chiefs. But such is the tough nature of the EPL, roundly regarded as the toughest or most difficult league in the world that it takes no prisoners so much so that even Pep Guardiola, probably the best coach in the world, cherished the challenge of working there before he eventually touched down at Manchester City.

Add to that interesting aspect the fact that the last coach to successfully defend the championship was the immortal and iconic Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United (well, I am a diehard Liverpool fan, whose sworn enemies are Man U, but will not let my club loyalty cloud my senses and blind me to respecting Fergie’s unrivalled good work) during the 2007-8 and 2008-9 while his lesser-mortal peers have since then struggled to emulate him and accomplish the feat, and a clearer picture emerges that somewhat exonerates Ranieri emerges.

The Foxes were in a freefall, yes, precariously gliding towards the drop zone and in danger of an unprecedented from-championship-to-relegation oddity; but had the experienced Italian become that bad in just under a year after leading Leicester City to the finest hour in their football history?

Thus, the former Chelsea, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Monaco, Roma, Valencia, Napoli and Greece coach aptly put it when he said “my dream has died” after the axe fell on him

But is it fair to pin everything down solely on Ranieri?

Even after the Foxes lost the unsung hero of their successful season, N’golo Kante, who has continued with his quantum strides and bulging reputation at Chelsea and driving his new paymasters’ quest for title glory?

Even as two of the leading lights in that campaign’s starring cast, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, have failed to reproduce the magic that turned mission impossible into mission accomplished?

Even as their Uefa Champions League flame still flickers after snatch- ing an important away goal in Sevilla in the knockout stages, with the Europa Cup holders still to visit King Power Stadium; never mind they have made it thus far in the prestigious tournament.

Again, never mind Leicester City had topped their Group G as they debuted in the competition; setting a new tournament record by becoming the first team to keep a clean sheet in the first four group games!

Just why did the Foxes not go the usual route of ringing the alarm bells and serve Ranieri with an ultimatum – like three of the then remaining 13 League games – to accord him a chance to turn around the season and save his job?

Perhaps Leicester City had overachieved last season, since staying up was the main objective, that they mistakenly got thinking that a title defence was an entitlement.

Some have been quick to point out that Jose Mourinho suffered exactly the same fate at Chelsea last season, but I for one, submit that it is difficult to sympathise with the self-anointed “special one” because he was his own enemy and precipitated his downfall after suggesting, with subtlety, that some of the senior players at Stamford Bridge were out to “betray” him and his work following a simmering dressing room mutiny.

It all, therefore, comes as no huge surprise that loads of sympathies poured in for Ranieri, while the Leicester City hierarchy received a backlash over the Italian’s sacking.

Like Friday Football Echoes opined in last week’s installment, this is such a thankless job.

These painful realities, which, sadly, are part of football, make the game look even more sad and cruel.

It’s Game On, Play On!

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