BULAWAYO - Zanu (PF) won the May 2011, Peace Soccer Tournament Shield held here on May 7.Bulawayo Agenda organized the football competition, which drew four political parties namely Zanu (PF), both formations of the MDC and ZAPU, as part of a national healing exercise.
We want to encourage tolerance and non-violence, said the director of Bulawayo Agenda, Anastasia Moyo. To impress the theme of the games on participants, Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), Political Liaison Officer, Michael Mukashi said, People get together through socialization.
Play-offs were, however, marred by allegations of cheating on the part of Zanu (PF). Officials and players from ZAPU, MDC-N and MDC-T alleged that Zanu (PF) rigged the contest.
They changed their team mid-stream, said MDC-T Bulawayo Provincial Vice Organising Secretary, Tsepiso Mpofu. The competition was rigged because Zanu (PF) brought three teams for the play-offs. During the first match, they brought two new football teams in a Kombi. All in all Zanu (PF) brought a 33-man squad that won the Shield, said Tsepiso. Asked to respond to allegations, player of the tournament, Makabongwe Ndlovu of Zanu (PF), said angikwazi lokhu. Engikwaziyo yikuthi sibatshayile (I do not know about that. What I know is that we beat them.)
MDC -N officials also denounced Zanu (PF). Save for the goalie, they hired an extra team of 22 players from Mzilikazi Township called Shark 11, brought them to the tournament in a Kombi, rested their tired players, injected a fresh Shark 11 into the tournament, and won the Shield, said a MDC-N official who spoke anonymously.
Tournaments whipping boys, ZAPU, were also upset about Zanu (PF)s alleged importation of 22 extra players. Whenever we got tired of running on the field, they pitted a fresh pair of legs against each and every one of our players. This is rigging, said a ZAPU player, who declined to give his name to the press.
A number of aggrieved officials and players who spoke to The Zimbabwean declined to give their names. MDC-T official, Tsepiso Mpofu was frank about her feelings. The tournament is just a moment of fun. We do not want to get embroiled in fist fights because of a simple soccer match. But it is important to observe the rules of fair play all the time, wherever we are. Also we are trying to use sport as a tool for peace building, she said.
On the pitch an ever-green Zanu (PF) team beat ZAPU 2-0. Zanu (PF)s last man in defence and Goal keeper of the Tournament, Walter Muzhandu, managed to keep a clean sheet between the posts. In a show of triumph, Muzhandu literally joined spectators watching his team easily beat both MDC-T and MDC-N 1-0 to lift the Bulawayo Agenda May 2011 Peace Tournament Shield.
Asked on why they lost all their games, one ZAPU player said, Well we came with politicians and not footballers. Any way the fair play and most disciplined team award is ours. We will do better next time. So weak was ZAPU that the MDC-T side teased them by fielding a female player, Susan Sithole as goal keeper. Still ZAPU failed to score.
Excited to beat MDC-T, the MDC-N side triumphantly sang, Tshela umhlaba ukuthi sibatshayile abafana be MDC-T (Tell the world, we beat MDC-T boys). Players from ZAPU, MDC-T and MDC-N did not respond to the ZANU ndeyeropa baba (ZANU is a party of blood) song.
Most felt that Zanu (PF) players chanted a vexatious tune which was not in the peace-building spirit of the games. We dont want to sing our Chinja songs otherwise the peace that we are trying to foster may be broken, said Bekithemba Nyathi of MDC-T.
Post published in: News