ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT

ZIMbabwe IndePendent auguSt 1 to 7, 2014 9
readerS’ Forum
Match pitting MDC
factions interesting
MDC Renewal Team leader Tendai
Biti
• I understand morale is
low following the end of the Fifa
2014 World Cup that had kept
us so entertained. don’t despair
yet people, as we have our very
own World Cup of sorts that is
about to kick off — the MdC
2014 World Cup pitting Morgan
tsvangirai against tendai Biti
Football Clubs.
For those who may not have
been following events on the
political scene, FC tsvangirai
and FC Biti were once one international
club but FC Biti broke
away to stand as an individual
team following disagreements
with the captain, tsvangirai.
a quick look at the two teams:
tsvangirai FC (Formation:
4-4-2)
Goalkeeper/Captain
Morgan richard tsvangirai
Defenders
douglas Mwonzora
Theresa Makone
Job sikhala
tapiwa Mashakada
Midfielders
Thokozani Khupe
Lovemore Moyo
Morgan Komichi
eddie Cross
Strikers
Luke tamborinyoka
nelson Chamisa
tsvangirai FC on paper, looks
to be the better team given its
experience in the political premier
league. However, their
experience has failed to yield
them any silverware, and 15
years after its formation, the
captain is yet to lift a single cup.
some fans are starting to doubt
his match fitness and ability to
steer the team to greater heights
as they feel he should retire.
The captain is however adamant
that even without silverware,
he will lead the team until
cows come home or donkeys
have horns.
The team’s strongest unit is its
defence that has proved to be
resilient in the face of spirited
and goal-bound attacks from
the opposing strikers.
The old guard of Mwonzora,
Mashakada and sikhala has so
far managed to neutralise FC
Biti strikers, drawing on their
experience in the league.
The trio has been with the
captain since the formation of
the team and is in sync with
him. What the other defender,
Makone lacks in experience and
finesse, she makes up for it in
enthusiasm.
a point of worry is the captain
tsvangirai, who has often betrayed
his team through childish
blunders in what should
otherwise have been clear-cut
saves.
Often, it has been left to the
defence and sometimes striker
tamborinyoka to clear the ball
from the goal line in a mad
scramble. The goalkeeper’s ball
distribution is also atrocious
and his attempts at clearances
often lands right in the path of
marauding FC Biti strikers.
The midfield is nothing to
write home about as they appear
tired and lack the energy
to persevere for the entire
game. The midfield quartet has
often been guilty of needlessly
losing the ball to the opponents.
With regards to the strike
force, the duo of Chamisa and
tamborinyoka has remarkable
speed and ability to launch
quick forays into the opponent’s
penalty area.
sadly, the speed is not
matched by accuracy and most
of their efforts end in volleys
way off target. Goals they have
managed to score have so far
been from set-pieces.
Overall, the team appears to
gel together but their collective
effort is tired and predictable
to the extent that opponents
are able to counter their every
move and take advantage of
their weaknesses.
FC Biti (Formation: 3-5-2)
Goalkeeper/Captain
tendai Biti
Defenders
samuel sipepa nkomo
Last Maengahama
Promise Mkwananzi
Midfielders
Gorden Moyo
Paul Madzore
solomon Madzore
evelyn Masaiti
reggie Moyo
Strikers
Jacob Mafume
elton Mangoma
FC Biti relies heavily on its
youthful players who still have
the zeal to take the game to the
opponents. The team’s strongest
point is its strike force that
has proved to be lethal in front
of goal, although not as pacey as
their opponents.
The FC Biti strike force of
Mafume and Mangoma records
more shots on target and accurately
converts any mistakes
by the opponents into scoring
chances. The midfield, though
still finding its feet, looks solid
and highly mobile but needs
to work more on their passing
game to ensure smooth flow of
play.
as for the defenders, nkomo
is the main anchor as he uses
his experience to command the
defence and there appears to be
good coordination between him
and the keeper.
as for the captain and goalkeeper,
Biti possesses calmness
between the posts that his opposing
number lacks and this
enables him to effectively deal
with shots fired by the FC tsvangirai
strikers.
Biti has also proved to be a
better penalty stopper than his
opposite number and this might
come in handy if the game goes
to the wire. He is also blessed
with good ball distribution and
often crafts moves that end in
goals.
For now, FC Biti appears to be
yielding more results from long
range shots, with Mangoma
having acquired a reputation
for firing blistering volleys into
unsuspecting opponent’s nets.
The club also has the advantage
of being the moneybags
and it is rumoured that they
will soon acquire more topnotch
players, even luring some
from tsvangirai FC.
now folks, don’t you think
we are in for a good match? May
the best team win.
Nicole HoNdo.
High Court did
well to combat
violence
• tHe High Court of Zimbabwe
did well by sentencing four Kadoma
youths who committed manslaughter
post the 2008 election
run-off. The four Zanu PF youths
namely nobert Muzhinji, Thabani
Mashonganyika, sikhumbuzo
Madhuveko and Mangisi Mutandavari,
were on July 22 each sentenced
to 15 years in jail for the
murder of MdC-t supporter John
Max in august 2008. The move by
the court acts as a clear deterrent
factor to would-be perpetrators
of violence. It also goes to show
that nobody is above the law thus
cannot get away with grievous
crimes of violence.
cHeN cHikezHa.
• The Independent last week reported
the Ministry of Finance
had arranged a us$1,4 million
loan from the african development
Bank which it will use to
buy new luxury vehicles for its
executives. There’s not much
chance of the national debt being
reduced when government is yet
to learn that when you have dug
yourself into a hole, the first thing
to do is stop digging!
Walt WHitemaN .
• ZIMBaBWe lacks true political
leadership. Those who are in
power do not understand what
the words “patriotism” and “nationlism”
mean. The only words
they understand quite well are
“ego” and “greed”. until real
leadership arises, there is no
hope for recovery. also, the longer
it is delayed, the harder it will
be to fix.
c Frizell.
Chingoka’s
departure was
long overdue
• Peter Chingoka’s departure
from cricket was long overdue.
This is the man who singlehandedly
destroyed our cricket.
Zimbabwe was a promising
cricket nation but we lost the
cream of our cricketers and ever
since Zimbabwe has become a
laughing stock. now countries
like afghanistan can afford to
beat Zimbabwe in consecutive
matches. That is saddening. We
need to take lessons from the
time when there were more
white people in the administration
and when there were nine
white players and two blacks,
then we can start winning
again. The cricket team we have
is incompetent to represent
Zimbabwe on the global stage.
It’s a positive development that
Chingoka is gone.
cricket FaN.
• We are a cursed generation.
Pity those who are going to live
long and tell their children the
tragedy of the Zimbabwean political
story. I wonder what questions
these children will ask?
Obviously they will laugh at the
answers we are going to give.
GeNeral SaiNt.
• ZIMBaBWe’s economy is in
turmoil. economic indicators
point to an economy in steep
decline. How can we speak of
growth when companies are
closing on a daily basis while the
unemployment rate is surging?
Perhaps Zimbabwe has its own
way of calculating growth.
tHula.
Bring finality to land reform
• Zanu PF government must bring the issue of land reform to finality.
The recent farm invasions came after President robert Mugabe
told his party supporters in Mhangura that the remaining whites
should not be allowed to own land in Zimbabwe. With such utterances,
most of us will do our best to oppose the leadership of Mugabe
and Zanu PF. The party’s ideology is stuck in the colonial era, characterised
by racism and hatred. Mugabe must realise that racial segregation
has no place in the 21st century. What I saw during my recent
visit to Zimbabwe is that its economy is running because whites had
made remarkable strides in terms of development. so why should
Zanu PF demonise whites? It’s sad I and my family were forced into
exile, yet I ran the largest solar manufacturing business in southern
africa.
c Frizell.
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