Purple Patch For Zimbabwe Football

The Past week has seen several Football success stories for Zimbabwe on the international stage. This is a timely reminder that Zimbabwe has talent and the people in charge of our football must sort out the mess created by the FIFA-imposed sanctions which have seen the Nation wallow in the football wilderness. We need to go back to the football family and there is no time to waste with the expanded World Cup qualifiers around the corner. We have a real chance of qualifying for this prestigious tournament because we have the talent.

And this past week, there was an exhibition of the talent at various football stages in the world. 

Luton Town, a team which has written its football fairy tale was promoted to the most respected league in world Football, the English Premiership. 

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What a story it is, maybe one of the greatest football stories of recent years.  Ten years ago, the football club was playing non-league football having gone through a series of relegations since 1992. 

For thirty-one years, the team has been away from the high table of Premier League riches. 

But now they are back. Their story is inspirational, and yesterday they clinched their place in football heaven!

The icing on the cake for many Zimbabweans who call Luton Town home, thousands of them according to statistics,  was the presence of hardworking midfielder  Marvellous Nakamba in the Luton Town ranks. 

Since he arrived from a not-so-successful spell at Aston Villa, Nakamba has simply been marvellous for his new team. He took to Luton Town FC like a duck to water and maybe the psychological effect of being among his kinsmen and women allowed him to discover his best form. 

Yesterday at one of the greatest football stadiums in world football, he put in a great shift. 

For Luton  Town’s only goal, he did what Nakamba does best, break up play. The ball was shifted into midfield and three passes later was nestling in the Coventry City nets. 

1-0 to Luton and the Nakamba fingerprints were on the goal. 

Coventry City later equalised and the match went to the dreaded penalties. Again Nakamba stood up to be counted and took the third one. Nonchalantly, he rolled it into the far corner to keep Luton Town in the hunt. 

6-5 in favour of Luton was the final score! My commiserations go to Coventry City (an old friend of Zimbabwe football, the team which gave Peter Ndlovu his first break in international football, they used to visit Zimbabwe in the 80s) but party time for Luton Town, Nakamba and  Zimbabweans at home and abroad. 

And for Luton Town, what a story, I am sure it will be turned into a film or documentary soon, and a  Zimbabwean will be part of it!

All the best to Nakamba and Luton Town, I hope they survive the cutthroat world of the  EPL, and I hope Nakamba makes his loan move from Austin Villa permanent!

Another great story happened in Germany, another success story. 

Former Zimbabwe international, George Mbwando who is now the Head Coach VFB Eichstatt Under 19 team won the league with his boys.

It has been an amazing turnaround for the upcoming coach who once threatened to quit football because “there are few opportunities for black coaches “he said then. He had to look for Plan B  going back to school and qualifying as a technician. 

But once a footballer, always a footballer and coaching is in his blood. When VFB Eichstatt came calling, he seized the opportunity with both hands and now he has a feather in his coaching hat…a winner’s medal!

Closer to home, in South Africa there was yet another success story for Zimbabwe. 

Terence Dvukamanja, the on-fire Zimbabwe international striker who is now regarded as the greatest header of the ball since Makwinji Soma Phiri scored a 95th winner for Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup Final. This was the “Sea Robbers ” the most supported club in South Africa nicknamed ‘s second trophy this season. And Terence has contributed with goals to make this possible. 

Are our football leaders paying attention? Three Zimbabweans on the winners’ podium in three different countries! And yet at home , our football is stuck in the football wilderness!

My appeal to them let not the harvest rot in the soil..Zimbabwe has talent, let us create the stage to exhibit it, let us end the isolation!!

Danai Chitakasha , is a  Football writer who is keen on the development of Africa and in particular Zimbabwean Football.