Deaf soccer stars break silence

LEGENDARY former Zimbabwe captain Moses “Bambo” Chunga believes people living with disabilities can excel if they are incorporated into the football fraternity.

The former Dynamos coach was one of the selectors at a six-team round-robin tournament for the deaf at Rufaro yesterday.

The tournament marked preparations for the selection of a national soccer team that is expected to represent the country in the qualifiers for the Deaflympics.

The Cool Splash tournament was organised by the Miss Deaf Pride Foundation.

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◆ inability to get game time at English side Brighton & Hove.

England coach Gareth Southgate also drew widespread media attention when he dropped Wayne Rooney in March 2017, because the former Manchester United star was not getting enough minutes under then gaffer Jose Mourinho.

Southgate was quoted as saying he wouldn’t pick Rooney again until he had proven himself.

Some local analysts are of the view that Musona’s statistics in recent months do not warrant a national call-up.

“We are not saying Musona has suddenly become a bad striker. He is just not fit and he is not in form,” said an analyst who requested anonymity.

“If one lacks game time, then he is not mentally switched on as the other guys who are regularly playing competitive football like Tino (Kadewere) or Macauley Bonne, if he gets the passport.

“Look at the way Musona applied himself at the Afcon finals. That loss of concentration against Egypt cost us, that miss against Uganda was a sign that he is not himself.”

Musona has scored six goals in the last five Afcon qualifiers at the National Sports Stadium, including that historic hat-trick against Liberia on June 11, 2017.

He now has a total of 14 goals in the Afcon qualifiers since scoring his debut in a 1-1 draw in Liberia on September 5, 2010.

“Musona’s statistics in the Warriors colours do not lie,” said former Bulawayo Chiefs coach Garthly Chipuka.

“Let’s not be emotional, Musona is one of the best we have. He has this telepathic relationship with Khama (Billiat), which has brought results for Zimbabwe.

While the national team’s selection exercise started in Harare yesterday, it will spread to other provinces in the next few weeks.

“The sky is the limit for some of the players I am seeing here. Deaf people need to be integrated into the sporting fraternity. They also like to play football, so they should be given a chance to excel.

“Hats off to the organisers and the sponsors — Cool Splash — for coming up with this initiative. We mourn against racism in football and yet here at home we are discriminating against our own.

“But it’s good we are now appreciating football talent amongst people who are deaf and dumb,” said Chunga.