The Sunday News
A fortnight ago, the country’s national football and rugby squads made Zimbabwe proud with their conquest on the sporting field.
The Warriors defied all odds to beat Malawi 2-1 in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre while at Prince Edward School’s Jubilee Field, the Sables held off a determined Kenya to win 28-20 in an Africa Cup Division 1A encounter.
Both teams had to put behind shoddy preparations to do the nation proud in their respective assignments.
For the Warriors, they only got into camp a few days before the match. The team even missed the flight to Malawi as the players protested over bonuses, but eventually travelled to that country by road.
With many expecting the Malawians to give Zimbabwe a good hiding, the Warriors prevailed 2-1.
What makes it sad is that the Warriors have no sponsors and have to rely on the goodwill of individuals every time they go for international assignments, last time around through benevolence of Prophet Walter Magaya.
Just last Sunday, the Warriors defeated Comoros 2-0 at Rufaro Stadium in a 2016 African Nations Championship qualifier, a tournament meant for players plying their trade in their native countries’ leagues. Camp for the team was chaotic with players getting together before the match. With the team heading off to Comoros for the second leg, the nation can only hope that it’s departure would not be characterised by chaos.
The Sables were assembled less than a week prior to taking on the Simbas, but they saw off Kenya by eight points.
Kenya, whose 15s squad is bankrolled by Kenya Breweries, on the other hand, were well geared up for international action after playing Portugal in Nairobi on 30 May, a match the Kenyans won 41-15.
In football, while other countries took advantage of Fifa window to organise friendly matches, the Warriors were inactive. While Zimbabwe seems to be in an easy group in the Afcon qualifiers, countries like Swaziland cannot be underrated as shown by their away shock win over Guinea.
The Sables play against Tunisia in their second Africa Cup match in Harare on 4 July and while they might easily beat Tunisia, the fixture against World Cup headed Namibia in Windhoek on 15 August is their biggest challenge.
With the scenario faced by the Warriors and the Sables, the question which quickly comes to mind is: Is Zimbabwe getting more than the country is investing in sport?
In most countries even on the African continent, there is overwhelming support for sport from government and the corporate world which means success is always guaranteed.
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa said it was up to the respective national associations to work with the Sports and Recreation Commission, Government and the corporate world to ensure that the national teams got adequate preparations for international assignments.
“It is important that before our national teams participate in international events all the ground work is done. We have heard of instances where national associations have not been keen to put in place adequate preparations for our national teams yet they knew of these a long time ago. Our players have done well under the circumstances,’’ said Langa.
“I would like to encourage our national associations to take sport seriously because Zimbabwe views sport as an industry. Of late the corporate world is not putting enough effort in our national teams because they have no faith that they will win. I would like to encourage the corporate world to support us,’’ added Langa.
As Zimbabwe gear up for the second leg of the Chan qualifier away to Comoros, Langa has urged the whole nation to play a part in ensuring the team does make the trip to the island nation.
The minister said the team needed a chartered flight which has to be paid for. He disclosed that the Government was working with the SRC, corporate world and the Zimbabwe Football Association to make sure that the funds required for the trip were secured.
Former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart said he has always been amazed at how Zimbabwe national teams have continued to perform under difficult conditions.
“I have always thought that Zimbabweans punch above their weight; it is remarkable how we have achieved so much with little resources in difficult circumstances. With a good administration, strong economy we can achieve a lot as a country. Our rugby team at the least should be playing at Super Rugby level,’’ said Coltart.
Zimbabwe has over the years lost talented rugby players to countries with strong economies. Players like Brian Mujati, Takudzwa Ngwenya, David Denton, Tendai Mtawarira and David Pocock were born in Zimbabwe but chose to represent other countries in international rugby.
Coltart feels there is a need for the Government to pump money into sport, not to interfere but facilitate.
Turning to the Warriors, Coltart said the team was affected by a number of issues which range from the mess at the Zimbabwe Football Association which has led to the corporate sector losing interest in backing the team financially.
“The Warriors are afflicted by a range of problems. Football has been further affected by lack of sponsorship compounded by corruption. Companies would put money if they had confidence that they were putting their money into a good cause. During my time we periodically bailed Zifa out. The result against Malawi was remarkable considering the circumstances under which the team played,’’ said Coltart.
Former national sevens rugby team coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba feels preparations go beyond the few days the players spend as they should be provided with an environment where they can train at the same level as they are expected to compete at.
“In order to compete at international levels our players need to train and get prepared at international levels. Our biggest problem is right now both in rugby and soccer, players are training preparing themselves at lower levels than the expected results. Getting players into a national structure (camp) seven days before games by then it is already too late,’’ said Nyamutsamba.
The country’s supreme sports governing body the SRC has been accused of only being visible when they threaten to punish national sports associations instead of assisting. Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede last Thursday said the SRC was part of the problem since they got six percent from football clubs’ gate takings yet that money was not ploughed back into sports.
“The SRC is quick to tell associations to put their house in order yet they are part of the problem. They get six percent from gate takings yet that money is not invested back into sport,’’ said Gumede.
