The Sunday News
Chicken Inn vs Highlanders
League Game — Barbourfields, 15 April 2018
Entertaining game
Let me explain how the three sumptuous goals were scored out of the four goals in this game.
Goal number one scored by Highlanders. This was the fifth move to get to the Chicken Inn 18 area and this was in the 42th minute of the first half to be precise. The creative process of the cracker goal from Brian Banda started from none other than the whizzkid Nigel Makumbe.
If the Highlanders coach can encourage the boy to dribble every time he gets near the 18-line box more goals will come because dribbling is a tactic on its own. It puzzles and misplaces defenders. The second goal from Chicken Inn was also from a good build-up of interchanging of small crisp passes ending up with a pinpoint cross to the heart beat of Chicken Inn Clement Matawu, who executed a bicycle kick. The ball was blasted into the roof of the net and at one point, people sitting next to me (that included me) thought it was no goal because when the ball hit the roof Ariel Sibanda, the Bosso goalie, was a confused man.
This brought some sombre atmosphere in the stadium. The third goal scored by Gabriel Nyoni, which was Highlanders’ second, was scored with some accuracy from a bird’s eye view pass by Brian Banda. The passes I saw in this game reminded me of the Super League era of the 1970s before it became Premier Soccer League. I do not know which of the words is bigger than the other, please get hold of your dictionary and check. Anyway the late William Sibanda, Joel Shambo, Achiford Chimutanda showed fans what elegant passes looked like. In those days opponents’ supporters would give them standing ovations for beautiful football. “Talent is what you possess, genius is what possesses you”. Of course we had Ronald Sibanda in the 90s who could do the same passing with elegance like the above geniuses.
But Chicken Inn could have wrapped up the game in the first half after getting 12 well constructed moves into the Highlanders box but poor finishing spoiled all their chances. Chicken Inn were able to make those moves because Highlanders midfielders let the ever green Matawu spray elegant passes freely to his attackers with Highlanders right and left full backs also allowing crosses into their box, giving anxious moments to their fanatic fans.
Highlanders had their moments too to win the derby. First with the beautiful colourful uniform it could have capped a five-star performance. I think overzealous celebrations on the second goal took away the concentration needed before the Chicken Inn equaliser which came within two minutes after Highlanders’ goal. The most fragile time in a game of football is when you have just scored. Thirdly I would like to say this to Highlanders; the desire to win is greater than the fear to lose. There was no need to have two defensive midfielders in the last part of the game.
EDUCATION
Education is concerned with developing knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others. Much of football education is concerned with developing good habits and creating correct attitudes.
My experience after 51 years in football is that it is very much easier to develop good than it is to change bad attitudes. Here I am saying bad habits from all people involved with this beautiful game, for example you see soccer officials watching the game drinking alcohol, the next morning a coach is fired; is there any justification? Is that official concentrating on the game to find fault in the coach’s tactics? At times you see journalists drinking alcohol while covering a game or players getting drunk before or after a game in public places. All this is not good in developing good attitudes which are the corner stones of soccer education.
HISTORY
World Cup France — 1938 with 36 entries. Italy qualify as holders, France qualify as hosts
Match for third place: 4- Brazil beat Sweden- 2
Final Match: 4- Italy beat Hungry -2
Italy were crowned Kings of football again after winning the 1934 World Cup in their home soil.
Joke: 2014 season when Dynamos beat Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium, ten Dynamos supporters went to a cafe to celebrate. When they got to the door there was a sign saying “No Under-18 allowed”. The leader of the group shouted and said, “MaDeMbare hatina kukwana hendeyi tino tora vamwe eight (meaning they needed eight more supporters to be allowed to get in the cafe)
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