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ZIMBABWE’S long-suffering football fans slipped into yet another soul-searching exercise yesterday as the reality of the Warriors’ embarrassing exit at the 2011 CHAN finals — where they lost to a makeshift South African representative side — wreaked havoc in their conscience.
The Warriors’ supporters, both at home and abroad, joined hands in mourning the team’s latest failure to make an impact at a major football tournament as Madi-nda Ndlovu and his men failed to better the performance of the Class of 2009 and fell at the first hurdle.
Former Warriors’ hardman James Matola said it was tough to accept reality that the Warriors were out of the CHAN finals.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow guys. I had high hopes but where to now? I hope we pick up the pieces and look forward to the Mali game because we need real men in Bamako,” said Matola. “Cry my beloved Warriors.”
Two defeats in three league matches, including a painful loss at the hands of a South African development side made up of Division One players after the Super Diski clubs decided to keep their players at home, was a painful pill to swallow for the Zimbabweans who had backed their team to at least make the quarter-final stage.
Needing a win against South Africa, after having conspired to somehow lose the opening match against Niger, the Warriors got a perfect start when Norman Maroto headed them into the lead inside the first two minutes and created a host of chances to even make the scoreline 4-0 within the first 20 minutes.
But they blew good chances, including a sitter that Archieford Gutu sliced wide with only the goalkeeper to beat, while Denver Mukamba was unlucky as his beauty, curled with precision after a fine run, could only kiss the outside post.
The South Africans recovered, with a masterstroke substitution from their coach in the first half changing the complexion of the game, and they regrouped and were the better team for the last third of the match, scoring twice without reply, as the Zimbabwean defen-ders paid heavily for their lack of co-ordination.
The equaliser was a painful goal to concede with Zephaniah Ngodzo, playing his first match at the CHAN finals, failed to read his teammates’ off-side trap and covered the South African forward whose header beat Washington Arubi who dived late.
Yesterday, Zimbabwean fans used the Internet to exp-ress their views about what went wrong in Sudan and the latest failed bid by the Warriors to progress beyond the group phase of a major football tournament.
Here are their views:
It’s disheartening to say the least. Our football is suffering from the effects of a rotten leadership at Zifa. It is painful to note that the most supported sport in the country is administered by clueless, shameless and selfish people like Benedict Moyo. I don’t blame the players for the failure and neither do l blame the coach. I blame the system which thrust a failure into the Warriors hot seat. What would you expect a coach of Madinda’s calibre to do at such a grand stage? I feel sorry for him because he is going to be subjected to all sorts of abuse from people like me but honestly it could have been a shocker if we have had sailed through. For reasons better known to Zifa, a coach who helped the team qualify for the tournament, was pushed out. — Ignatius Nyoni.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have to be rational rather than emotional, proactive rather than reactive, objective not subjective. Just hours ago Barca struggled to get a draw at Sporting Gijjon. In my view, just like there’s no better death, there’s no better failure. Madinda, just like Mhofu before him, failed to progress to the next round. To me Madinda is as good as any other such young and ambitious coach. He only needs our support and that has to start with the Press because many of us believe newspaper is The Herald, just like drink is Mazoe orange crush. — William Mpasu.
In as much as we appreciate that we are one people as Zimbabweans, with what Zifa is doing tichapedzesera tarasa miromo. Yes, I am talking about tribalism at Zifa — Patrick M Makanjera.
I’m absolutely gutted. — Panganai Robert Kasenza.
Why was Mapeza ditched for Madinda? You don’t ill-treat people and get away with it. Well done Madinda, you showed us what we already knew about you. You have won nothing as a coach. Mapeza should be having the last laugh. — Samson Chifamba.
I think Madinda tried his best. Anyway I don’t support the Warriors. My team is Highlanders FC. — Obert Mushaya.
Being a good player and a good coach are two different things. Those who appointed Madinda are the enemies of the State and are the ones who need sanctions. We don’t even have a substantive coach with Mali beckoning. — Irvin Kudzanayi Chinyenze
I knew that this team would go nowhere because of biased selection from Khatazile. How come he left behind these players — (Kuda) Musharu, who is one of the best strikers in Zimbabwe today, (George) Magariro, the tried-and-tested, (Evans) Gwekwerere, the list is endless. He left Simba Sithole to rot on the bench for all the three games. How come Joel Ngodzo managed to play all the three games in the starting line-up when everyone could see that the youngster was struggling? — Simbarashe Maputsa.
Madinda, you did your best under harsh conditions. Zifa is to blame for not providing resources full stop, plus most of our good players are now based in South Africa and Botswana. Well done Khatazile. If you choose 10 players from Blues (Bulawayo) because they are better go ahead, Spain is proof of that. You can only take a horse to the river, but can’t force it to drink. — Kennedy Chengeta
Zifa, you are a shame, not only to yourselves but to the nation at large. How can you take a coach who survived relegation with a bit of luck on the last day of the season to be the national coach? What does he do, call many of his Black Mambas players who failed to play even half of their matches of the season. Shame on you Zifa. Shame on you Madinda. — Nakisai Manzeke.
The writing is there on the wall that Madinda is no match to Mapeza or Sunday Chidzambwa. Had it been that either of the two coaches were at the helm, our Warriors couldn’t have lost even a single match. The truth is that Madinda is not yet ripe to deserve a dance with the Warriors, that is, if he will ever deserve it. — Ignatius Nyoni.
I’m hurt. — Tendai Marimira.
Who called players into camp? Madinda and not Zifa. Who selected the final players? Madinda and not Zifa. Who was supposed to make the necessary changes during the match? Madinda and not Zifa again and what makes Madinda a good coach? Let’s see his achievements as a gaffer? It’s zero, nil, nada. I blame Zifa for giving a job to the guy. Cry my beloved sport. — Bhutsu Mutandarika.
After all has been said and little done, I ask myself “do we have any future, what should we do as a nation?” and deep down my heart I hear a soft voice saying “take a leaf from Ghana” and let’s groom a team now that should conquer Africa in four years time. Football is about patience. If I may ask a simple question — “Who’s our number 1 man?” South Africans will tell you Ithu (Khune), Ghana will shout Kingstone and poor Zimbos will only tell you the one who last featured. We don’t have a national team. Simple. Let’s not blame anyone. — Mutuvha Farai.
I think our biggest letdown as a footballing nation is lack of unity from the fans, journalists, coaches to the administrators. We are a divided lot so we can’t expect miracles from a house that is deeply divided. Dynamos have achieved good results in the Africa safari with average coaches. Why can’t the same happen to our beloved Warriors? It’s not a question of Madinda, Mapeza, Mhlauri, Sharuko, Kausiyo, Zifa, or a fan seated in Vietnam at Rufaro. Think again maZimbabweans. —  Elvis Chamboko.