Football skills the Zimbabwe way

In the world of football, there are a number of techniques that have become synonymous with certain legends of the game. These special skills have become part and parcel of the everyday discourse of the game the world over.

I have always wondered if a case can be made for techniques and special skills that are closely linked to our football legends. The purpose of this article is to explore whether such an argument can be sustained.

Most football fans are familiar with such techniques like the Panenka penalty technique, Cruyff turn, Makelele role and Zidane turn or shuffle.

These skills are named after the football legends who first introduced them to the global game and have become part football folklore. The panenka is a by product of Antonin Panenka, the Czech star who first introduced it at the European championships in 1976.

He deceived the keeper with a simple chip down the middle of the goal and the legend of the panenka penalty was born. Johan Cruyff bamboozled his defender with one piece of skill in the 1974 World Cup giving birth to the Cruyff turn.

Claude Makelele mastered the midfield defensive role that everyone started talking about the makelele role. Zidane had a repertoire of skills but the one he did most became known as the zidane turn. Through these skills the world of football has been enriched and the language has expanded.

What about our local game? Can we aptly name a technique after a player because of the way they mastered it. I would like to posit that that we can. The fact that we have not done so speaks volume about the lack of serious in documentation of our local football.

In Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular the academic study of sport is often neglected. However, if we are going to assert our contribution to the global game especially in the field of academia, then such research should be taken seriously.

Some people might dismiss this as a fruitless endeavour, the proverbial chasing of the wind but I beg to differ. Football is a global game, introduced to Africa through colonialism. It is also true that the Africanisation of the game is at its peak with an unprecedented number of African players on the global stage. These players bring to the game their African experiences, personalities, skills and values.

One good example in this regard was the 1990 World Cup when the Indomitable Lions took the world by storm. The performances were great but what stood out were the celebrations of Roger Milla by the corner flag after each goal. This transmitted the joy and exuberance of the African game which everyone even in Europe still remembers.

Robert Kidiaba the DRC national goalkeeper is another who has redefined the art of goal celebration with his bum shuffle. The 2010 World Cup is also a good example as the Vuvuzela took over and showed a new way of supporting football.

These examples clearly show the uniquely African contribution to the game and in Zimbabwe we need to start sharing our special contribution to the world of football. A discussion of the special skills of our legends can be a good starting point.

I was reading an article in the Herald about Khama Billiat, the young Sundowns F C and Zimbabwe national team striker. He talked about his special scoring technique, the chinyaride otherwise known as the scissors kick. This technique was the trademark of the late Shakeman “Chinyaride” Tauro.

He was the ultimate goal scorer and the scissors kick was one of the skills that he used often. By acknowledging this technique Khama was basically paying homage to the special abilities of this legend.

We can safely talk of the chinyaride kick as the Tauro kick without fear of embarrassing ourselves just like we can talk about the Milla celebration highlighted above.

Football fans, commentators and writers alike in Zimbabwe will agree that the case of Archford Chimutanda will always be a case of unfulfilled talent. He was a talented footballer who lacked the commitment to turn his immense talent into the glittering career that it deserved. He will however be remembered for the out foot pass.

Many players use the inside of the foot to pass the ball, this gives them more control of the ball, but Archie was different. With remarkable ease he used this technique again and again. If he had done this in front of a global audience the technique could have been named after him.

For close to fifteen years, Japhet “Short Cat” Mparutsa dominated the goalkeeping position for Dynamos, Black Rhinos, Darryn T, Celtics and the National team. A lot has been written about his immense abilities but one skill will always stand out, the one handed save as he tipped the ball over the bar.

For a man of such short stature, his agility was incredible as he tipped shot after shot over the bar. He literally introduced this technique to the local game and for that I would argue for the Mparutsa one handed save.

Moses Chunga is regarded by many as the second greatest player to emerge from Zimbabwe after the great man himself, George “ Mastermind” Shaya. In fact it is a toss of the coin between him and Peter Ndlovu but that is an argument for another day.

Moses had a bagful of skills but one will always stand out, the Stepover. Moses introduced this in 1983 when he exploded onto the local scene. One experience will live in my memory forever.

Caps United were up against the old enemy, Dynamos. Moses picked the ball on the halfway line and ventured into Caps territory. Up against him was Clever Muzuva, a tough tackling defender. Moses started his step over, one after another he advanced.

Muzuva did not know what to do, he kept back-peddling until he was standing right next his goal keeper, Duncan “Zico” Ellison who was screaming at him to tackle Mose. The legend of “Makai Moze”, mark Mose was born.

Needless to say the ball ended up in the net. Such was the impact of Moses with this skill I would definitely argue for the Chunga step over, he did it long before current step over specialist Cristiano Ronaldo.

One player who will always be regarded as a model of the game in Zimbabwe is Stanford ”Stix” Mtizwa. There is a skill that is synonymous with Stix, the chest control. He had the ability to pluck the ball with his chest from the air, rest it on his thigh and release one of his killer passes, all in one smooth motion.

Ball control is one of the biggest assets that a player can have and Stix had that in abundance. The chest control in Zimbabwe football parlance can indeed be renamed the Mtizwa control.

Two players mastered the feinted back heel in Zimbabwe football, Joel Shambo and Llyod Mutasa. Joel Shambo had so many skills I would need a whole page to describe them. Let me therefore talk about Samaita as Mutasa was fondly known.

Mutasa made this skill his trade mark and coupled with his impeccable body swerve it made him one of the most effective midfielders of his generation.

This amazingly simple skill is one of the most effective ways to create space for a midfielder but surprisingly not many players use it. It is a dying art which should be resurrected, the Mutasa false back heel.

Other skills that seem to have died are the Mashinkila gallop and the nutmeg of which Boy Ndhlovu was the master. The Mashinkila gallop performed by Willard Khumalo especially in the centre circle had one effect, it raised the spirits of the crowd especially when the ground had become too quiet.

Boy Ndlovu terrorised defenders with the nutmeg, he was simply the master of this skill. The Madhodha dribble is another which died with its founder. This skill was Edward Katvere’s speciality.

He would offer the ball and withdraw it in one swift movement, leaving defenders on their knees. Graham “Iron man” was a victim of this skill on many occasions and he would end up being booked for persistent fouling. We definitely need to revisit these skills for they made football a joy and these legends can be used as a reference point in our discussions.

Many other skills have been used by our players but I want to rest my case with the above. As clearly presented, there is a strong argument for our legends to be associated with particular special techniques that they mastered.

My hope is for a coaching a manual that accepts the global techniques but also incorporates these local techniques, only then can we take pride of place on the high table of football nations.