The Sunday News
Cosmas Zulu
I witnessed ugly football displayed by both teams who are supposed to be the flagship of soccer in Zimbabwe with players failing to execute some basics like making a five-metre pass.
I even stopped counting the number of unforced errors after I got to 25. I am talking about situations when a player is not marked, with no opponent exerting pressure on him, but fails to pass, at some stage kicking the ball outside the pitch or a Highlanders player giving the ball back to a CAPS player who in return passes it back to a Highlanders player.
Both teams failing to come with six or seven complete passes.
I was not surprised, this is the reason both teams have gone for weeks without posting wins.
Coming to defence, both teams were pumping long high balls, by-passing the midfield to lonely short strikers.
I have to mention the goalkeepers of both teams who pulled some daring saves starting with CAPS goalie in the 18th minute with some good cross reflexes after a good cross from the right by Highlanders accompanied by a glancing header which he collected handsomely.
Then came a save which saved Highlanders from the jaws of their second defeat in B/fields with Ariel Sibanda pairing a snap shot for a corner when a goal was written all over the wall and every man and woman saluting “Umdawini”.
This was just a minute before the second half.
Midfield is where you expect the heart and soul think tanks of players but this was not it for the entire 90 minutes.
There was not a single penetrative pass to create a scoring opportunity from both teams.
Only in the 44th minute when Josta Ngodzo’s magic touch came into play, a twisted flick which is his trademark to his playmate who put in a tantalising cross.
Then came a Usain Bolt run from Phiri delivering a tantalising cross received by Ozias with a big miss in front of yawning goal for Bosso.
These were the two highlights including the saves from the goalkeepers. I went home to tell my wife and grandchildren that I was at B/fields watching some good football at some stage.
My apologies, there was a set piece, a free kick outside the 18 area for CAPS executed in such a way that it showed that this was from a training ground.
Then a product of no confidence when Peter Muduwa denied his team die-hard fans (Bosso) celebrations at the stroke of 90 minutes, missing a sitter two meters away from goal.
It is therefore evident that we are not born with equal talents as players and coaches and that we do not have environmentally speaking equal opportunities.
The great challenge of teaching however, is to recognise potential talent and develop that potential to its full realisation for coaches.
The other misguided notion to which reference should be made is that practice in isolation cannot be transferred into game.
If a player is a poor technical performer in a situation where he has no opposing player there is nothing of technical merit to transfer into the game.
It should however, be understood that the player who is technically proficient can still be if opposing and co-operating players are brought into the game.
What is important is the attitude towards learning by the coach and the player.
This attitude should be characterised by two qualities: Open and Enquiring mind.
Saying of the century
In the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany, with teams still tied, before extra time Alf Ramsey, then England coach marched onto the field and told his players that they had won the World Cup once and now they must win it again.
England went on to win the cup by beating West Germany 4-2.
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