Nyasha Mushekwi clears the air on controversy

By Robson Sharuko

CRACK Zimbabwe forward Nyasha Mushekwi has cleared the air over controversial comments, which he allegedly made to a South African football magazine, regarding the quality of players and teams in the domestic Premiership.

Kick-Off, the leading football magazine in South Africa, reported two weeks ago that Mushekwi criticised the poor quality of the players and teams in the domestic Premiership.

But Mushekwi hit back saying that his comments, related to the domestic Premiership, were taken out of context and insisted that he never criticised the quality of the players and the strength of the teams.

The powerful forward left CAPS United during the mid-year transfer window and joined South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns where he has made a big impression in the few games that he has played.

He won the Golden Boot, on the domestic scene last year, while playing for the Green Machine and, this season, his goals helped Makepekepe reach the final qualifying round of the Caf Confederation Cup.

“I can never question the quality of the players back home because I know that most of them are very good and, until recently, I was one of them and there were a number of others who were actually better than me,” said Mushekwi.

“The problem with our football back home has nothing to do with the quality of the players who play in the Premiership but it is centred on the lack of sponsorship and clubs have very little, if not nothing, to give to the players.

“It’s not easy to get the best out of players when they are facing other problems concerning their welfare and it’s easy to get the best out of average players where they are big incentives.

“Given the financial challenges that football faces back home, and the fact that it continues to produce players who are good enough to get contracts at foreign clubs, I think we have to salute everyone involved rather than criticise the game.” Mushekwi said the performance of Zimbabwean teams on the continent was also another big factor in proving to the critics that the standards of the game in the domestic Premiership were high despite the sponsorship blues that blight the landscape.

“Our teams have always done very well in the African club competitions and Monomotapa, Gunners and Dynamos did well in the Champions League and we were doing well in this year’s Confederations Cup,” said Mushekwi.

“It shows that the teams are strong and the players are good and I think CAPS United would still be in the Confederations Cup if we had played against Al-Hilal in the final qualifier.

“So there is no way that I can question the calibre of the players back home because I have played with them and I know that they are very good and many of them, with a bit of luck, could get contracts with foreign teams.

“The fact that our clubs do not have financial resources and the fact that our leagues don’t have sponsors does not make the quality of our football poor because, in this game, once you are good you are good and no one can take that away from you.”

Mushekwi said while he had taken his chance, and made the move to a foreign team, he was also hoping that scores of other players get a similar chance and also secure professional contracts.

“We have the talent back home and you look at the players at Dynamos, at CAPS United and at Gunners and Highlanders and you see that a lot of them can make the grade in foreign lands and all that they need is a chance,” said Mushekwi.