JOHANNESBURG – The Warriors performing terribly in continental competitions, ever-bungling football administrators getting arrested, Kirsty Coventry’s medal haul and Cara Black performing wonders on the tennis court – just some of the happenings in the eventful sporting year 2007 for Zimbabwe.
The biggest prize for mediocrity without doubt goes to the beloved Warriors, the senior men’s national team, which – while 16 of the best African nations make final preparations for the African Nations Cup in Ghana – will be kicking their heels at home after failing to qualify for the event.
Losing is part of the game but losing to such flyweight opponents as Malawi is simply unacceptable.
The imagination of star players Peter Ndlovu and Benjani Mwaruwari brawling over petty issues on the eve of the clash against Morocco adds a notorious twist to the disappointing exit by the Warriors.
The boys’ atrocious outing in the regional COSAFA Castle Cup was equally disastrous. Zimbabwe, joint record winners of the tournament, fell at the last hurdle at the hands of Mozambique.
The catastrophe rubbed off on Zimbabwean representatives in the continental safari, Highlanders and Mwana Africa, who promised so much but returned from the expedition with nothing but experience as they fell to formidable North and West African opposition.
Then the controversial entrepreneur-cum-ZIFA chief executive officer stole the limelight for the wrong reason. Henrietta Rushwaya hit the headlines for allegedly swindling the erring football mother body of significant amounts in foreign currency. The disappearance of funds from ZIFA coffers is nothing new anyway and thus caught no-one by surprise in 2007.
But every cloud has a silver lining. It took the Under 20 version of the Warriors to show their senior counterparts how it is supposed to be done and what patriotism is all about when Knowledge Musona’s legendary hat-trick steered Methembe Ndlovu’s inimitable team to victory at the just ended COSAFA Youth Championships.
Dynamos finally awoke from a 10-year slumber to notch its first league title since the onset of the millennium.
The Blues made up for the misery they had put their fans in over the years by claiming a double with the League Cup, made sweeter by the fact that they beat sworn-rivals Highlanders to both the League and Cup.
Things looked up for some individuals too. Swimming and tennis queens, Kirsty Coventry and Cara Black, redeemed pride for Zimbabwe with world-class performances.
The loveable Coventry was legendary with her awesome medal haul in international competitions. Her irresistible form in the pool saw her reap a total of 12 medals- seven gold and five silver – at the All Africa Games and World Swimming Championships in Algeria and Australia respectively, enhancing her status as Zimbabwe’s golden girl.
Not to be outdone Black, together with South African doubles partner, Liezel Huber, won the 2007 Australian Open and triumphed at Wimbledon. – CAJ News
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News