What football philosophy is being used in Zimbabwe?
SOCCER coaches’ groups in the country have been abuzz with debate on the country’s football philosophy.
A simple description of football philosophy is how a team or country wants to play its game.
It is the style of play, formations used and tactical approach adopted.
This better translates to how a team wants to attack and defend.
A majority of coaches believe as a country Zimbabwe has no defined way of playing and it does not surprise that national teams play “bhora kumberi”. The ball is pumped into the final third and then a miracle occurs and the team scores.
Back in the day, Zimbabwe played hardrunning football with wing and midfield play against brutal defenders where pace and art were key like the English game and many players flourished in the 4-2-4, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations.
For instance, Mamelodi Sundowns popularised the South African “Shoeshine and Piano”, slow build-ups from the back through wings and midfield, while Kaizer Chiefs at its height played so much in midfield and wings with good finishers among them Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo, Mike Mangena, Shayne Macgreggor, Fani Madida and Collins Mbesuma.
Back home, Black Rhinos and Caps United, Dynamos, Highlanders, Hwange and Zimbabwe Saints played mostly from the wings and branded a lot of their players culminating in legendary status for the likes of George Shaya, Stanley Ndunduma, Madinda Ndlovu, Moses Chunga, Jimmy Mbewe, Edward Katsvere and Joseph Machingura. Balls would be played to the wings, a bit of magic and exchanges with midfielders and crosses into the box for strikers to finish off and the play had a lot of goalmouth action that ejected fans off their seats in the industry of wingers and linkmen.
Sunday Leisure asked local coaches and prominent football personalities what football philosophy is played or should be played.
This is what some of them had to say:
Alexander Maseko, former Highlanders, Mamelodi Sundowns and
Warriors defence stalwart
First, players were groomed via the junior policy. That made them understand the club’s culture. The competition was always the backline, middle field and then front. Most teams were strong in the middle field, having strikers who were finishers.
Since football has evolved, we must not ignore the system that worked that made football what it is today. Rather, combine with what worked before.
For example, Zimbabwe Saints had Andrew Kadengu, William Sibanda, Misheck Sibanda in the middle. Highlanders had Tymon Mabaleka, Titus Majola, Willard Khumalo. Caps had Joel Shambo, Joe Mugabe, Stanley Ndunduma.
The likes of David Muchineripi, to name a few. Brazil and Spain are a good example of the type of football they adopted till up to date.
Agent Sawu, former Zimbabwe Saints
and Warriors Forward
Thina we do not have a philosophy. We work with what we have.
Tawanda Kaseke a US Scholarship Recipient and now coach in the US
Fourth
I would argue that we have not really had a footballing identity as a nation for a while now. Watching some of the Four Nations Tournament highlights in Malawi, it is evident we are at a crossroads as we seek to use the modern footballer in a system with coaches that have not evolved. In order for the system to evolve, our coaches must evolve and go and learn more. Experience doesn’t equal growth or evolution. We have to modernize our football ID, from the grassroots level. Right now our teams look like a group of guys who know the game, came together and are trying to figure out each other instead of a team that has worked on a particular style/system on the training pitch. If I were given the chance to lead any Zim team with a mix of diaspora and local talent — I would adopt a mix of the Spanglish (Spanish & English) with German styles along with the grit and resilience of being African. We would play at a high tempo — possession with a purpose. Our training would be built around small-sided games with a lot of precision passing and expansive play. The players would be studied and evaluated with their clubs to influence the formations we would use.
If we have a good core of the team playing in a particular system with their clubs, we would look to take advantage of their already acquired understanding of the said system to expedite the teaching process. The players know the game, that’s why they are professionals, but we as coaches need to understand that “unexplained expectations are premeditated disappointment and resentment.”
To me this means that as a coach I must not expect you to know something I have not worked with you on. So we use technology and create a guideline/playbook with things as simple as vocabulary we want to use, and we would expect the players to spend time studying these expectations from the playbook. When we go to training we are merely checking for understanding and building on whatever principles we are working on that day.
Charles Mabika Veteran Football
Commentator
Going back to my primary school days with the likes of Stanford “Stix” M’tizwa in the junior and senior teams when I was in Grade Seven, our teachers who were in charge of football were a mixture of locals and expatriates from England and Scotland. Emphasis was on individual play, the ball was passed to an individual for instance in our case Stix M’tizwa who was expected to dribble and then pass to a partner. I was one of those expected to score. That was the philosophy, I am talking of the 1970s and Independence teams that were successful, the philosophy of individual brilliance was there.
Mkhokheli Dube former Highlanders, Bantu, FC Platinum, Young Warriors,
England Revolution Striker
I think back in the day we had quick wingers who could dribble and cross the ball well, more so our midfielders were creative.
Tumediso Mukwena Former Division One club owner and Zifa Southern
Region Board Member
We need to have the type of play that our national team will use. If we have to adopt a playing system we have to start at the bottom with juniors. We employ a coach who can train players in what we have been playing as a country. If we have our type of play as Zimbabwe whoever takes over the national team will be evaluated on results and that. We have nothing, a new coach comes with new players and his own style. We need a style that suits our players. All leagues must play that type. In Spain coaches play Tika Taka. We have to adopt our philosophy.
Farai Tawachera, PSL side Arenel
Coach
To be honest, we have an identity crisis in terms of philosophy as a country. Could be that we have coaches who trained in different countries and they implement what they learnt where they trained. Most of the time, it was direct African football with traits of European flair.
Rodwell Dhlakama Former National Junior Team Coach and PSL Club Coach
In Zimbabwe, we need to start everything from scratch. The most important thing is to design a curriculum which must be part of all schools from Naph to Nash, this curriculum will be used to design a national syllabus for football. From the national syllabus the schools will draw a local specific syllabus for football for that particular school. In that curriculum and syllabus that is where we pronounce our philosophy that will cascade to the playing style.
I know some soccer pundits will quickly say possession based football etc but where and how can you climb a tree from the top?
They will say the team’s goal is to dominate possession that helps them to control the flow of the game, command play and frustrate opponents for example, through a mix of precision passing, clever movement and superb spatial awareness. My perception is that as Zimbabwe we need to do more in terms of playing productive football and grooming players for lucrative markets to enhance the performance of our national team players.