The Sunday News
TO “lose one’s marbles” or to lose one’s wits is to lose one’s mind.
Losing your marbles is an expression that is equivalent to losing one’s mind, being insane, or someone being out of their mind.
That is what the lunatic fringe among the Highlanders supporters and their coach displayed in recent days and in equal measure, following the “hard to stomach” 1-0 loss to Chapungu last weekend.
It took that 0-1 loss to then winless Chapungu at Emagumeni for some folks among the ranks of the Highlanders family to take their craziness to an entirely different level, making them even more difficult to handle, as they did when they forced then coach Kelvin Kaindu to leave.
Widespread chants of “Mafu Out” during the match were followed by discordant boos at the final whistle.
The Bosso fans then staged a 30-minute demonstration at the stadium singing and dancing as they called for Mafu’s exit. They continued with their demonstration as they marched to the Highlanders club house where they demanded to meet the executive.
It was Bosso’s second defeat of the season having started their campaign with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of ZPC Kariba in their opening match.
Not to be outdone in the scheme of things, the former Zimbabwe Saints coach, rather weirdly shot back telling our sister paper, Chronicle that even “Jesus cannot coach Highlanders” all because of its hard-to-please supporters.
By such actions and utterances by both the supporters and the coach put the Highlanders’ brand into disrepute.
Even though Mafu’s side had put up a mini-recovery to pick up seven points after wins over Hwange and Tsholotsho together with a draw against Buffaloes, the supporters appeared to have had enough already.
In five matches, Bosso have only scored two goals while conceding three which has left their goal difference in the red.
Mafu was appointed coach of Highlanders amid tacit approval and disapproval in equal measure, at the beginning of the current season.
Those who approved were largely charmed by his impressive paper qualifications, while those against pointed out that his lack of the necessary experience to coach a big club like Highlanders would impact heavily on the team.
But by appending his signature to the contract to coach Highlanders, Mafu should have known that Bosso is not only the oldest football institution in the country but it is a club that many feel should clinch the country’s most coveted trophy, the PSL title, every year.
Some people take supporting Highlanders as a way of life, something so valuable and so big that anyone who coaches the team gets a rather larger than normal dose of scrutiny.
And it is not unusual that Mafu is already getting his fair share of criticism for how the team has so far fared. But this seemed more than unusual for Mafu, what with his now legendary “even Jesus cannot coach Highlanders” remark.
Prior to that Mafu, who replaced Kaindu at the beginning of the year, had continually declared he was a fighter, not a quitter.
The long and short of it.
To Mafu: They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You must act according to your intentions, because you will have problems or be punished if you do not.
To the jerks, who call themselves Highlanders supporters:
“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.’’
Take it or leave it.
You can hit back to: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], WhatsApp 0772 682 368 or Face book Phineas Mukwazo.
