EMMANUEL MARAMBE
SPORT is a unifier and must serve as a point of convergence among diverse groups, with differing opinions.
It is why people drawn from different persuasions, who are enamoured with different sporting disciplines always find something that cheers them up — even in defeat, unless you belong to a group of diehard ultras.
Football tops the bill.
Very soon, the biggest football jamboree — the World Cup — will be setting off in the United States, Mexico and Canada. From mid June to mid July, friends and foes, would be united as they either root for their countries, favourite teams — or the team that they feel should win it.
Here in Zimbabwe, we are not an exception.
But before we can think of the World Cup, let’s think about our local football which is certainly on the up, after the disruption brought by the coronavirus.
At one time, sport in general and football in particular, appeared to be stained for the graveyard.
How could a nation fathom looking for resources to pour into sport, when coming from a painful period where critical skills, were lost due to an unforeseen but very lethal disease?
There would be other priorities.
But the story of Zimbabwean sport has been encouraging post coronavirus era.
In March last year, former Sports Minister, Kirsty Coventry, was elected as the new president of world sport’s most important and powerful sports organisation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) — becoming the first woman, first African and youngest person to hold the exceedingly influential position.
In July last year, Zimbabwe held off a late fightback from Namibia to win the Rugby Africa Men’s Cup final, thereby sealing the country’s place at the next Men’s Rugby World Cup to be held in Australia in 2027.
That surprise result meant that the Sables returned to the top table of international rugby tournaments for the first time since 1991.
And in October last year, the Zimbabwe senior mean’s cricket team, the Chevrons, qualified for the Cricket Men’s T20 World Cup hosted by India and Sri Lanka, earlier this year.
Of course the national football men’s senior team, the Warriors, qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations which was held in Morocco in December last year.
Domestically, the local premiership and other leagues in the lower rungs have regained their bright colours after the pandemic.
Part of the reason why there is exuberance that is also being matched with notable transformation, is down to Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya, the owner of current Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions — Scottland FC.
Sakupwanya has helped bring the zing and love for football among local soccer fans, who had turned their backs on the game either on account of poor management — or lack of innovation by clubs.
That Scottland FC is well resourced is not debatable. What is debatable, which shouldn’t be debatable, is the alluring power that the Mabvuku side possesses.
Without a doubt, Mabviravira, has shown that it has the pedigree to bring many corporates to the game. And this is for the benefit of the whole league, as clubs have embraced innovation, professionalism —while evolving with the times, although Zimbabwe is still some long way off from where other serious countries, are with their game.
You now able to talk about Green Dollar, ZimPure, Viega, Sakunda, InnScor, Africabet, Booties Phamarcy, Medix Phamarcies, IMC Communications, Ecobank, Betterbrands Gold, Sahara, Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance, MWOS — joining Delta Beverages whose decades’ long contribution to Zimbabwe’s sport is unparalleled.
It is important to note that apart from Delta Beverages — whose involvement with Zimbabwe’s topflight league goes back to the mid 1960s, Sakunda and Nyaradzo, the other sponsors came at the same time Sakupwanya became involved with top tier of football — with most of these companies backing Scottland FC.
It’s one thing to have resources and it is completely a different thing to know how to use those resources, and for the benefit of those that you are competing with.
The allure of Scottland FC is steadily spreading to the rest of the premiership, as more and more sponsors — at times small in stature — have come in to play their part in promoting the game.
What is critical at this juncture is for all the clubs in the premiership to challenge themselves to do better: get results on and off the pitch.
It doesn’t help to be jealousy and characterise Sakupwanya and Scottland as being there to destroy the game — especially considering the undeniable fact that they have revolutionised local football.
The premiership champions and their president, are trend-setters. They continue to set the standards for local football teams both on and off the pitch.
The clubs training facility, with several pitches, gym and villas is nearly complete. The stadium that Sakupwanya is building in Mabvuku is progressing steadily.
Internationally, Mabviravira has established twinning relationships with top Eswatini outfit, Nzingizini Hotspurs and South Africa’s Durban City, which last week won the NedBank Cup.
Exploratory talks on establishing twinning deals with one of Eridivise and English premiership side, are ongoing.
These are moves that not only benefit Sakupwanya and Scottland FC —but Zimbabwe’s football and its ecosystem.
The Castle Lager premiership has become attractive to foreign players who have found themselves plying their trade in Zimbabwe. Currently, there are large contingents of players from West Africa, Eswathini, Namibia, Zambia and Malawi.
Outside of South Africa, North Africa, a few West African leagues and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the local premiership stands as an alternative attractive destination.
The local game is on the up — even when the country has suffered the ignominy of having its national teams playing international matches in foreign countries on account of not having internationally-approved stadiums!
At times, it is good to give credit where it is due.
Scottland FC is at the fore front of rewriting the local football game and in a right way. They deserve respect.