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Sad end to 2012, hope for a better 2013

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AS we start the New Year, we look back at what started as a good 2012, but ended with the sad and tragic passing of Warriors and Highlanders legend Adam Ndlovu on the morning of December 16.

AS we start the New Year, we look back at what started as a good 2012, but ended with the sad and tragic passing of Warriors and Highlanders legend Adam Ndlovu on the morning of December 16.

Report By WELLINGTON TONI SPORTS EDITOR

He was laid to rest on December 22 – Zimbabwe’s National Unity Day. We trace the year to the “double double” winning champions Dynamos, the Olympic failure, Asiagate and the Supersport homecoming. Adam Ndlovu

The legend, the people’s hero, a unifier, motivator, coach, brother and father passed on tragically on December 16 in a horrific car crash, 20km outside Victoria Falls in an accident that left his young brother Peter with serious injuries and a female passenger Nomqhele Tshili dead. Peter has since recovered and is undergoing treatment. He could soon be flown to England for further treatment. His (Adam’s) coaching career was cut abruptly after leading Premiership side Chicken Inn to a third place finish. Chicken Inn were looking at a title onslaught this year. Adam’s death united the football and political family and his burial at Lady Stanley Cemetery on December 22 signalled he was a man of the people. Mines minister Obert Mpofu, who is paying Peter’s medical bills, said they did not need anyone to tell them who a hero was and the thousands of people who attended the burial had defined Adam a hero. A few days before the burial, another politician Didymus Mutasa had apparently “insulted the people of Matabeleland and the football family” with uncalled for vitriol when the First Family had provided food to the Ndlovu and Tshili families. Simon Khaya Moyo, another politician, spoke at the funeral service of the respect, honour and humility which Adam had exhibited during his life. Judging by the “national attendance” at the burial, there is no doubt that Mutasa was clearly offside and needs to be “yellow carded”! We say Rest in Peace Adam and Nomqhele and wish Peter a speedy recovery. Dynamos

From winning the 2011 league and cup double, Dynamos, besides the Hwange violence saga, completed a memorable 2012 season by scooping the same and earning a return to the Caf Champions League. They now have to assemble a strong squad for the African safari given that after a poor performance in 2012, they are starting from the preliminary round. And it does not look like an easy road to success – Lesotho Correctional Services are the first hurdle. While the match against their fellow Southern African team appears an easy one, a tough examination awaits them at the first round stage. If they manage to pass the Lesotho test, Kalisto Pasuwa’s men will face the winner between Club Birzetin of Tunisia and Ettihad of Libya. The task will become even more daunting for Dynamos if they manage to clear the hurdle posed by the two North African giants as current Caf Champions League Cup holders Al Ahly of Egypt will be next up in the second round. The preliminary round starts in February, just one week after the completion of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in South Africa. Dynamos will start the campaign at home on the weekend of February 15-17, with the return leg a fortnight later on the weekend of March 1-3. If they progress to the first round, Dynamos will play the first leg away in North Africa, then play host in the second leg. Denver Mukamba

He shone like a beacon, scoring when it mattered most especially in the tough second half of the season and, deservedly, was named the Dynamos Player of the Year. He added the icing on the cake when he was named the 2012 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Soccer Star of the Year. Well done, Denver. We look forward to a better 2013 from you whether at Dynamos, the national team or in South Africa.

Kalisto Pasuwa

No doubt, this was the man who deserved all glory at Dynamos after a stellar 18 months at the helm of the country’s most successful football club. Taking over from Lloyd Mutasa, Pasuwa overhauled FC Platinum’s lead and won the Mbada Diamonds Cup in his first season. He repeated the same feat last year, this time over Highlanders and surely, he deserves all the plaudits.

Kelvin Kaindu

In his first season as coach, Kaindu lifted the “unknowns” at Highlanders and pushed them 23 games unbeaten. When they lost 3-0 to Monomotapa and went on strike on the eve of their Mbada Diamonds Cup quarter-final match against Monoz, their season was as good as over. But credit to him, he made Dynamos more competitive and now they know they are real champions. FC Platinum

This was the only other team that finished the season with trophies after winning the Bob88 Super Cup and the Independence Trophy. But by their own standards they set in their debut 2011 season, this was not good enough for them. Changes in the technical team might have contributed to that as they lacked consistency, more often losing at home. They are expected to name a new technical team anytime and perhaps a new executive to take the team forward after club president Nathan Shoko’s term expired yesterday. He remains as honorary president until December 31 2013.

Monomotapa

They were known for good things only in 2012 – super football, super administration, being the only team to beat Highlanders not once, but twice – 3-0 in the league and 3-2 in the Mbada Diamonds Cup quarter-final – and reaching the cup final, which they lost 2-0 to Dynamos. Then Ronald Chitiyo, the young man they call Rooney, was named the third best player in the league.

Farai Jere

He finally left Caps United following the 3-0 loss to Dynamos in the Mbada semi-finals, but many feel Jere had done a lot for Caps United and should reconsider his decision. Perhaps, there is something more to it. Only time will tell. Centre for Commercial Arbitration The Centre for Commercial Arbitration might have set a wrong precedent for Zimbabwe football in terms of handling of violence at matches. Their judgement in the Dynamos-Hwange case simply means anyone is up for beating at a football match as long as the complainant does not produce evidence of trauma and the team is able to score during the match!

Zifa

The Zifa board lost four members due to suspension – Southern Region boss Gift Banda and Central Region chairman Patrick Hokonya – for alleged involvement in the Centralgate match-fixing scandal. Board member (development) Methembe Ndlovu and second vice-president Kenny Marange were also suspended for the Asiagate scam. The Asiagate match-fixing scandal finally came to an end, save for those who have appealed, after Zifa banned 15 personalities for life, including four players. The Warriors, Zifa’s biggest brand, failed to qualify for the 2013 Afcon. Shame! They had missed the 2012 edition again on the last day, losing 2-1 to the Cape Verde Islands. After beating Angola 3-1 in the home penultimate leg of the final qualification round, the Warriors blew away the advantage to agonisingly lose 2-0 in the decisive leg and missed qualification by the away goals rule. The Under-17 and 20 teams failed to fulfil away fixtures of their continental tournament qualifiers and are banned for three years each.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League

A better run this league, thanks to Fifa Futuro 111 instructor and chief executive Kennedy Ndebele and chairman of the board of governors Twine Phiri. Ndebele’s contract expires and the league has not formally written to him offering him a full-time job, but a decision is expected before their AGM in early March. Ndebele worked comfortably with sponsors and all clubs, despite various spanners being thrown into the works. Motor Action‘s Eric Rosen, the board member marketing, provided biggest comic relief of the year when he attempted to summon the CEO to a disciplinary hearing. Ex-board member development Cuthbert Chitima was also involved in trying to recruit Swazi national and Ndebele’s personal friend Fred Mngomezulu to the same post.

Mbada Diamonds Cup

Thanks Mbada Diamonds, for being there for the Premier Soccer League again. We hope to see you again in 2013, this time bigger and better. And for the first time, you had the draw being conducted live on national television. That was just fantastic. The competition was high and a spirit of professionalism was exhibited by all who took part; the players, the administrators and the media.

Supersport

A six-year flexible deal was signed between the league and the pay-per-view giants and a trial run was conducted in some league matches, successfully, we hope. We now look forward to a more rewarding 2013 season in which more games will be screened and the eventual benefits will help in the development and sustenance of clubs as they move to professionalism. We need an outside broadcast van to achieve this otherwise only games played in Harare will be covered, much to the detriment of the rest of the teams outside the capital.

BancABC Super Eight

The competition was not played “due to a clash of dates with another competition”. The clubs that were due to take part were paid $15 000 for their troubles. We hope we will have the competition this year. We trust the bank – the sponsors of Dynamos, Highlanders and Black Mambas – to keep their promise this year. Rugby The men’s senior rugby team, the Sables, were crowned African Champions, lifting the Confederation of Africa Rugby (CAR) Cup after beating Uganda 22-18 in Tunisia. The Cheetahs saw off Nigeria 19-14 in the regional qualifying tournament in Rabat, Morocco, in late September to book their fourth appearance at the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens Rugby World Cup slated for Russia this year. Olympic Games Results from London clearly indicate Zimbabwe has lived too much in the Kirsty Coventry glory and forgotten to build new heroes. When Ngoni Makusha was injured, it signalled Zimbabwe’s fulfillment of fixtures. We had no medal, the lowest number of athletes ever (seven) and, for the first time, we were unable to compete in track and field events when the country participated at the London Olympic Games. Coventry failed to garner any medal while Cuthbert Nyasango stormed into the top 10 of men’s marathon race after finishing seventh. Wirimai Zhuwawo crossed the line on 15th position in the same race, while female marathoner, Sharon Tavengwa, did not finish the race. Despite having competed at the Beijing Olympics four years ago, triathlete Chris Felgate finished on a disappointing position 52nd ahead of just two others. But it was not all bad news in terms of development: In rowing, Micheen Thornycroft became Africa’s top women’s single scull rower despite her Olympics campaign ending in the semi-finals. Another rower, Jamie-Fraser Mackenzie, fell by the wayside as early as the heats in the men’s single sculls.