Sports news from The Zimbabwean

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PSL roundup

HARARE – Harare side Motor Action once again failed to take advantage of
Highlanders' slip up when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Lancashire Steel
in a Premier Soccer League match at Baghdad Stadium in Kwekwe on Sunday.

With Highlanders only managing a 2-2 draw with Railstars in a city derby at
Barbourfields Stadium, Motor Action failed to capitalize and close the gap
on the struggling log leaders.

Highlanders came back from behind to lead Railstars 2-1 at some point but
the city rivals came back strongly to equalise with a few minutes to go to
full time.

Elsewhere, Shooting Stars continued to struggle and are now in real danger
of being relegated after they were beaten 4-2 by Hwange at the Colliery.

Hwange raced into an early 2-0 lead only for Shooting Stars to come back
strongly to level the scores early in the second half.

But the pressure from the home team proved too much and they succumbed to
two late goals. In Zvishavane, Moses Chunga continued to struggle at the helm of champions CAPS when the Harare giants were soundly beaten 2-0 by relegation candidates Shabanie Mine at Maglas Stadium.

The defeat comes soon after CAPS were knocked out of the CBZ Cup by Division
One side, Lengthens, piling the pressure on the former Dynamos coach.

Harare giants Dynamos virtually sent Zimbabwe Saints to Division One with a
commanding 4-1 win at Rufaro Stadium.

In Gweru, Chapungu edged Monomotapa 1-0 at Ascot Stadium while Buymore beat
Masvingo United 2-1 at Gwanzura Stadium on Saturday. – ZimOnline


19 oct p 23 sports shorts
Bhasera is ‘dirty player’
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe under-23 and Maritzburg Football Club tough tackling defender, Onismo Bhasera, was last week labelled the “dirty player”, who commits most tackles and fouls in the South African premiership.
According to results for ratings of players and coaches made available to CAJ News this week and conducted last month, Bhasera, was the second worst dirty defender in the entire SA premiership after Dominic Isaacs of Cape Town Ajax, with 10 points from the panellists.
Isaacs tops the premiership league log with 13 points. Among other rough players listed on the top five for fouling strikers comprise Brett Evans (Ajax), Robert Ngambi of Leopards and Nathan Paulse of Ajax, a sad development that painted the Cape Town based soccer side with some dirty playing tactics in the field of play.
But it is the Zimbabwe under-23 international defender, whose hard tackling tactics and toughness at the back for Maritzburg that has caused so many tongues wagging.
In a match witnessed by CAJ News in Germiston against Moroka Swallows, Bhasera, was the fierce defender to beat each tine the opposition strikers were attacking the Maritzburg goal area.
Strikers could be seen thinking twice before taking on the Zimbabwe international under-23 right back. Bhasera’s dangerous and crude tackles earned him the name “Bad Boy” with more than 10 fouls in less than seven premiership outings. – CAJ News

Clubless coaches abound in Jozi
JOHANNESBURG - Three former Zimbabwe soccer coaches, now residing in South Africa, have started the season clubless.
They are former Zimbabwe Warriors and Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, former Warriors and Nigeria head coach Clemens Wseterhof and Zoran Pesic of Yugoslavia.
Before coming to South Africa, Pesic briefly coached the then flamboyant and former Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Champions of Zimbabwe, AmaZulu Football Club of Bulawayo, but is battling to find a club to coach in the South African premiership.
Grobbelaar, a Zimbabwe international goalkeeper, who once coached the Durban- based Umtata Bush Bucks, but was sacked when the club was demoted to the less fashionable Mvela Golden Division One League.
The former Zimbabwe coaches have joined a list of other demoted or fired South African coaches for producing poor results whilst others could insist that they were not given much room to prove their mettle.
Among other coaches, described as the PSL coaches on the wings, are Ted Dumitru, Paul Dolezar, Walter Rautmann, former South African’s Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey, who was recently relieved of his duties by South Africa Premiership defending champions, Sundowns.
Other clubless coaches include Trott Moloto, Angel Cappa, Miguel Gammondi and many others. - CAJ news

Warrior’s goalie butter fingers?

JOHANNESBURG - As Zimbabwe’s senior soccer squad intensifies it battle to win the sole ticket to the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations soccer finals in Ghana and Nigeria, it emerged that one of their dependable goalkeepers, Energy Murambadoro is not as reliable as we all believe.
Murambadoro has been described in the South African Premiership league as one of the five goalkeepers with “worst-to-save-shot” hands.
The former CAPS United goalminder, who is presently plying his trade at Benoni Football Club in South Africa, has been rated among the worst goalkeepers in the SA premiership.
Among the five poor goalkeepers, with the worst save-to-shot popularly known as “butterfinger” comprise Zimbabwe’s Murambadoro, Andre Petim of Ajax, Rowen Fernandez of Kaizer Chiefs, Wayne Roberts and Jason Barnad of Santos Football Clubs respectively.
The Benoni and Zimbabwe international goalkeeper is rated the third worst goalkeeper in the entire premiership after Petim and Roberts. The vote, conducted by the popular monthly magazine, Soccer-Laduma, described five other goalkeepers as the safe hands in the premiership.
They are Lawrence Ncala of AmaZulu, Denis Onyango of SuperSport, Aime Kitenge of Maritzburg, Calvin Marlin of Sundowns and Kakonje Kalilo of Golden Arrows respectively.
Zimbabwe, who badly needs safest hands as the Warriors are battling to sail through to the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations finals scheduled for Ghana, needs good goalkeepers such as young and acrobatic Kundai Mutasa, who is in Qatar and the likes of Tafadzwa Dube of Masvingo United and Lancashire Steel’s Washington Arubi.
Soccer analysts have argued that Murambadoro, was now a spent force in as far as competitive football league is concerned. - CAJ News

2 Chelsea keepers crocked
BY JOHN HUGHES

LONDON - Two star Chelsea goalkeepers, Petr Cech and substitute Carlo Cudicini, were stretchered off and taken to hospital with head injuries during a tempestuous 1-0 Premiership victory at Reading. Cech underwent surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull, Cudicini left the pitch wearing an oxygen mask. Two other players, one from each side, were sent off and 18 minutes' stoppage-time was added.

Manchester United stay top of the table on goal-difference from Chelsea after coming from behind to win 3-1 at Wigan. Alan Pardew, the West Ham manager, admiited after a sixth straight defeat, 2-0 at Portsmouth, that "any manager in this situation would feel a certain amount of fear for his job."

Juan Pablo Angel, the Aston Villa striker, endured a personal nightmare in a 1-1 home draw with Tottenham. The Colombian missed a penalty, then headed into his own net two minutes later to gift Tottenham the lead.

West Bromwich, boosted by Kevin Phillips' hat-trick, cruised to a 5-1 Championship success at Ipswich in caretaker-manager Nigel Pearson's last match as West Brom caretaker-manager before handing over to new boss Tony Mowbray. Cardiff top the table after winning 2-1 at Crystal Palace.

In the Scottish Premier, Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura hit a hat-trick in leaders Celtic's 4-1 win at Dundee United. Second-placed Hearts lie second after coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 in the Edinburgh derby at Hibernian, but once-mighty Rangers are 10 points off the pace after crashing 1-0 at home to modest Inverness.

* Manchester United's home clash with Liverpool on Sunday is the big weekend match in England. North of the Border, Celtic host lowly Motherwell on Saturday.




19 oct p 24 sport

When sport mirrors politics

BY BRUCE ALLARDYCE

A few weeks ago Sean Ervine’s bowling secured promotion for Hampshire in the Pro40 competition, Murray Goodwin’s 1649 runs helped win the County Championship for Sussex and Andy Flower not only topped the Essex batting averages, but was instrumental in securing Essex a successive Pro40 title. Factor in Heath Streak’s efforts with both bat and ball for Warwickshire and you get a picture of the success the former Zimbabwean test players have experienced on the county circuit.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe conceded 418 runs in the 3rd ODI against South Africa, and went on to lose by 171 runs. More recently they were bowled out by the West Indies for 85 runs in the ICC Trophy, were chased down inside 15 overs and dropped catches along the way. This result typifies the story of Zimbabwean cricket over the last 5 or so years.

During this time the administrators of the game in Zimbabwe have managed to display the same lack of unity, professionalism and morality that has dogged the politics of the country, with a combination of death threats, alleged racism in the selection policy and infighting resulting in a domestic game that now resembles a game of garden cricket in terms of quality and organization.

In a country where the political situation is in a state of perpetual chaos, cricket is in danger of being run into the ground by politically motivated administrators, who seem determined to ruin what was effectively a well-maintained sport with a healthy domestic cup. There is still enough public interest to successfully promote the game in a country where there is little to cheer at the moment. There is as much democracy being displayed among the suits of Zimbabwe Cricket as there is being displayed bythe Mugabe regime.

Since the rebel players left the squad the team has struggled, lost its test status, suffered a further exodus of quality players such as Tatenda Taibu and Andy Blignaut and has seen a number of young players being blooded into the world of international cricket. Look at the statistics and the word blooded should read bloodied, as since 2004 Zimbabwe have not won a test and have won a handful of ODI’s against Bangladesh, which hardly counts as progress, but is seen as a major accomplishment considering the age and experience of the current squad.

Players as young as 17 have been thrust into the international scene and have been carted around the park when bowling, had their techniques exposed when batting and have been on the end of some huge defeats. That cannot be good for any cricketer, especially a high-school leaver with practically no experience.

The future of cricket in Zimbabwe lies with the young kids in the high density suburbs who want to emulate the success of former captain Tatenda Taibu, batsman Hamilton Masakadza and all-rounder Elton Chigumbura. Established international cricketers who have expressed a desire to return to the Test arena, such as Andy Flower and Heath Streak, could only benefit the local game and add stability to a team whose average age is 21. But time is running out for them as the current administration shows no sign of changing.

The problem is that no-one at the ICC is prepared to get involved. Let’s face it, why should they? Cricket in Zimbabwe is often seen as the past time of privileged, usually white, beneficiaries of private school education. Whilst this is no longer true, it is still a game requiring specialist coaching, expensive equipment and a lot of commitment from the player from a young age. All of this in a country with the lowest life expectancy in the world, 80% unemployment and 1000% inflation? The ICC is not in the business of regime change.

What could the ICC possibly do? Completely ban Zimbabwe from ever playing Test Cricket again? New Zealand took 26 years and 45 matches to win its first test. Zimbabwe took 3 years. Should they revoke their ODI status? No-one is talking about banning Bangladesh based on results are they? Any complete ban would surely kill the game off for good. Mixing sports and politics is recipe for disaster, and while the administrators continue their mismanagement and power struggles, the players are left with the fact that they are considered a walkover by most teams.