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Mutuma fast becoming a nuisance

Opinion & Analysis
DYNAMOS striker Roderick Mutuma is fast becoming a nuisance due to his failure to control his temper and involving himself in violence far too often.

DYNAMOS striker Roderick Mutuma is fast becoming a nuisance due to his failure to control his temper and involving himself in violence far too often.

At the weekend, Mutuma kicked Highlanders’s striker Ralph Matema. He was red-carded in an incident that incensed Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya, who described his striker as “stupid”. Indeed, he showed that he was not only irresponsible, but thoughtless and working against his team. Such an individual is self-centred and works at cross-purpose with his teammates.

At least this was the same Ndiraya who was complaining last week that there was selective application of the law, suggesting that there was an agenda against his players after the Premier Soccer League (PSL) sanctioned the Dynamos duo of Mutuma and Takesure Chinyama.

Ndiraya defended the two, who were found guilty of charging at and insulting referee Philani Ncube, during the Chibuku Super final, which DeMbare lost 2-1 to Harare City.

For the offence, the PSL disciplinary committee banned the duo for four matches each after a hearing. They were also asked to pay $1 000 each as a fine.

mutuma

Regrettably, the Dynamos executive threatened to pull out of the top-flight league altogether simply because of what they termed “mistreatment” of their players. It was reportedly after a meeting with PSL chairman Twine Phiri that the Dynamos executive changed their mind and decided to appeal against the players’ conviction, a development that allowed the two to take part in the Easycall Cup semi-final against Highlanders.

It was not surprising that after the way Dynamos defended its problem strikers, despite overwhelming video evidence, Mutuma would return to his unruly behaviour.

Had Dynamos done the right thing — that is to discipline Mutuma and Chinyama for bringing the game of football and in particular the name of the team into disrepute after the Chibuku Cup incident — the executive would not be the embarrassed lot they are today.

Discipline is important in the game of football and Dynamos should ensure its players exercise restraint on and off the pitch. The Dynamos brand is bigger than Mutuma or Chinyama, otherwise although they are vastly talented, disciplinary issues will kill their game for good.

Ndiraya castigated Mutuma and only had he applied the same reasoning and a firm stand in disciplining the duo from the beginning, his players would have conducted themselves better.

It is unfortunate that Mutuma seems to be enjoying attention for all the wrong reasons. Together with Chinyama, they were recently involved in a training ground bust-up, which almost escalated to a fistfight.

Last season, Mutuma had an altercation with his former captain Murape Murape. Mutuma also had a scuffle with Black Rhinos’ defender, Obrey Gada during a match last year.

Following the unfortunate incident last year, Mutuma was shipped out and he joined Caps United. But Dynamos gave him a second chance, re-joining the former champions during the mid-season transfer window. Yet, he has repaid them with a slap in the face.

Dynamos should instead help nurture Mutuma’s bad side, and not weap all the way, threatening to pull out of the PSL in support of a wayward player, who was clearly guilty and has no remorse for all his actions.

Dynamos chairman Keni Mubaiwa and club secretary Webster Chikengezha should be ashamed of themselves. This is not how executives of such a club would be behaving, unless they are also “gangsters” like their troublesome strikers. Instead, of making empty threats to the PSL, they should have threatened to dismiss the ill-disciplined players and it is unlikely that Mutuma would have struck again.

What Mutuma did on Sunday vindicated the PSL disciplinary committee. It is time top-flight teams discouraged their players from acting on emotions. They are role models, hence they must behave themselves for the good of the most beautiful game, their names and that of their teams.