THE chaos that hit the opening weekend of the restart of the Zambian Super League should provide our football leaders with some priceless lessons.
They should also be closely following the drama that has been unfolding across the Limpopo as South African football bosses battle to restart their leagues.
Both the Zambian and South African top-flight football leagues have been suspended for four months.
Former Dynamos striker, Evans Katema, had been set to be part of the group of players who would get the ball rolling for the resumption of the Zambian Super Division last Saturday.
The bustling forward had been named in the Zanaco starting XI for the first scheduled match, which had been set for the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, only for authorities to call off the game at the last minute. Another Zimbabwean, fitness expert Thompson “Marubber’’ Matenda, is also part of the Zanaco backroom staff as the team’s fitness coach. However, 28 members of the Forest Rangers squad, the club which was leading the championship race in Zambia before football was brought to a halt in March, tested positive for Covid-19, just before the opening match.
This forced authorities to call off the match and, the following day, the league restarted despite two players each from Zesco United and Power Dynamos, testing positive to Covid-19 in overnight testing ahead of the Sunday matches.
Another Zimbabwean footballer, Tafadzwa Rusike, plays for Zesco United, and featured in their match against Kansanchi Dynamos which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Power Dynamos were also in action on Sunday against Buildcon, the team which fielded two Zimbabweans — former CAPS United midfielder Joel Ngodzo and speedster Donald Teguru.
Zambian Sports Minister, Emmanuel Mulenga, announced at a press briefing in Ndola on Sunday that, despite the setbacks from the positive Covid-19 tests, they had decided, after another emergency meeting with Football Association of Zambia, club representatives and health authorities, the show must go on.
But, the chaos of the first weekend of the restart of the league programme, highlighted the tough challenges which authorities will have to battle against.
Some clubs have now been complaining that the current situation, where they are unable to use some of their registered players who would have been forced to go into quarantine, provide some serious questions about the integrity of the championship race. One club coach complained this week that his team was now barely recognisable, as the side he took charge of before the league was brought to a halt, as they had been forced to fulfil their matches without six of his players.
Authorities in the South African Premiership, which has the biggest constituency of Zimbabwean footballers among the foreign leagues, have also been battling to resume their league programme.
Champions Mamelodi Sundowns confirmed this week that they had five positive Covid-19 cases, although all of them have since recovered and returned to the team’s camp.
Known as the Brazilians, Sundowns have been camping in Rustenburg. The club did not name the five individuals although they confirmed that the group included players and some supporting staff members who all tested positive without having showed any symptoms.
Zimbabwe football legend, Peter Ndlovu, is the Sundowns team manager.
On Thursday, reports emerged that coronavirus pandemic had hit Kaitano Tembo’s dressing room after three of his SuperSport United players, and an official, tested positive for the virus in the last two weeks.
The two affected players, and the official, have since been cleared of the virus after going on 14-day quarantine. The third player is still in isolation.
“We would like to confirm four Covid-19 positive cases, which include three players and a staff member,’’ the club said on Twitter.
“Two players, and the staff member, were put into quarantine for 14 days after testing positive while the necessary contract tracing had taken place. The trio went for retesting and tested negative.
“The third player is currently in isolation for 14 days and is in high spirits and feeling well.’’
SuperSport United is also home to Zimbabwean players Evans Rusike, Onismor Bhasera, Kuda Mahachi and goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
Yesterday, Baroka FC chairman, Khurishi Mphahlele, also confirmed four Covid-19 positive tests among his players.
“We had four cases of positive players. They went through the isolation process and they are now back with the team,” Mphahlele said.
Zimbabwe international goalkeeper, Elvis Chipezeze, plays for Baroka FC. A number of club bosses in the South African Premiership, the richest top-flight league in Africa, have raised concern over the huge costs they have to bear just for the matches to be played.
The South African Football Association yesterday revealed that referees had started checking into the PSL’s bio-bubble in what would be another step towards the resumption of top-flight football in that country.
Zimbabwe football authorities have also been battling with the idea to find the best possible way of starting the domestic programme, which has been in limbo, since its scheduled start in March was deferred because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
ZIFA have set aside funds for testing and it will not be surprising, to get more positive cases, because of the rising local cases in Zimbabwe.
Testing is one of the fundamental measures to resume football on the continent. The complications which have stalked Zambian and South African football must provide lessons to the local football leaders that, despite their desperation to get football back, it will not be a walk in the park.
There are a lot of hurdles, which will have to be cleared, before we can expect to see our national game being played in this country again.