By Lot Chitakasha
“I was given this vision by God!”, Stanley Chirambadare declared with a conviction which left me with little room for argument. I am usually wary of people who claim to have heard directly from God, for many have claimed this privilege but have been found wanting when push comes to shove. It was with a certain level of scepticism therefore that I listened to this opening statement but I did not take me long to change my mind.
When some people speak, even the diehard doubters and cynics are forced to pay heed. The passion shines through, the energy is tangible and the conviction is difficult to ignore. Such people are a rare breed, people who speak their minds and are not afraid to ruffle a few feathers.
Stanley “Samora “ Chirambadare, the former Arcadia United and Dynamos left back famous for his overlapping runs and booming shots fits this bill. He has formed his own Football Academy, Revival Junior Football Academy and he has a lot to say about football development in Zimbabwe. I feel honoured to capture his vision on this page.
First, I wanted to clear the air, is he a rebel, raging and fighting the football authorities. His response to this was interesting, “I am a footballer, wrong is wrong and right is right. It is serious cowardice to do nothing when nothing is right..!”
This sums up the man, the man they know as Samora after the legendary firebrand Mozambique leader President Samora Machel. It is not only about the beard, the nickname denotes his passion, the conviction of his beliefs and his unwavering commitment to football development. Like the late great President Samora, he is not afraid to speak his mind.
The topic on football development in Zimbabwe is a hot potato, it stirs up emotions. In the light of the disappointing performances by the Warriors at the just ended AFCON tournament, many ideas have been promulgated.
What should Zimbabwe do to rediscover her lost glory. How can we bring back that bygone era when stadiums were always packed to the brim? A time when the mere mention of Edward “Madhobha” Katsvere ,Joel “Jubilee” Shambo, Madinda “Katazile” Ndlovu ,Gift “Ghetto” Mpariwa, Shackman “Mr. Goals “ Tauro, Moses “Razorman” Chunga among other would set the heart racing.
That era when fans would climb tower lights and trees near the stadiums to catch a glimpse of their heroes in action. Full houses at twelve oclock, three hours before the traditional three o’clock kick off ! Young people waiting patiently for the gates to open so that they can have a free watch for the last fifteen minutes of the game. How can we reclaim what has been lost?
According to Samora, the focus should be on talent identification and development especially in schools. He bemoaned that this is an area which has been neglected with schools only playing one month of football. He asserts what everyone seems to know but do little about, the neglect of junior structures and junior development.
The man has a vision. He believes that in football, everything should be deliberate. He asserts, “We have to do it properly and must have a clear development plan. When it comes to playing style, we must have a syllabus..i keep asking myself, what is our style? Nothing happens by accident..” He believes that more former players should be engaged in junior development but a national plan
should be followed. For this to happen, Zifa should shine the light, the leaders must have a football vision which they should pursue relentlessly.
The issue of Football Academies which seem to have taken over from schools and junior teams at clubs in developing players has also dominated debate in recent times. Many former players have formed their own Academies.
Thulani “Biya” Ncube, Alois “Gazza” Bunjira, Dickson Choto among others and the well established Black Aces Academy are some of the names that come to mind. How should Academies be run ? Under whose authority should they be under, ZIFA, Sport and Recreation Council , Ministry of Sports or should the Ministry of Education oversee all Academies? I sought answers to these questions from the legend.
Stanley Chirambadare explained why he formed his own Academy, Revival Football Academy whose catchment area is the high density suburb of Mufakose. This is the area which has produced such greats as Archford Chimutanda, Joel Shambo, Memory Mucherahova, Charles “Star Black” Kaseke, Gift “Muduso” Mpariwa , Never Chiku to mention a few, great players of the past.
He had this to say, “The vision is to have kids from the ghetto have an equal opportunity to nurture and pursue their sporting dream just like their counterparts in the more affluent areas and better schools. In the ghetto, there are many kids, hence the potential is massive. Sport participation, playing football will keep them off street corners and the temptation of drugs. I want them to rediscover the joy of playing, revive their interest and this explains the name. I hope they will play entertaining football, we owe it to the fans to develop players who entertain but also win matches.”
The legend also touched on the age old challenge of age cheating especially in schools football. This hampers development and stops the right aged players from enjoying the game. He added, “I formed the Academy because I realised that as a nation, we are not nurturing young talent, coaches are recycling players.
“I coached a player who went on to finish his ordinary level, I was shocked to hear that he has now enrolled at a school in town just to play football. Does this make sense? In the Senegal team they had a 21 year old with over 20 caps for the National team while our 20 year old is still trying to win a school tournament..how do we develop?”
Samora also hit hard on how the football leaders have neglected development by diverting funds meant for this for other uses. The money meant for junior structures is misused and he hopes that the SRC and the Ministry of Sport will monitor how this money is used. He argues that more junior coaches should be trained. He accepts that Academies should be monitored to avoid the proliferation on vultures whose only interest is to feed off the system.
On the issue of football leadership, Samora strongly believes that former players should lead the game. While accepting the role of ZIFA councillors, he thinks that the former players should reclaim leadership of the game, their voice must be more pronounced.
He points out that too many non football people have taken over the leadership of the game. The claim is that there are no qualified footballers to lead the game. Nothing can be further from the truth, it is a myth that needs debunking.
He said, “Former players have been excluded from the leadership of the game, the few who are handpicked are only there for window dressing, ZIFA must pick the best qualified people. I am a former Tax Officer, I was a Training Officer, I have qualifications in leadership, I worked with Campus
Crusade as Director of Athletes in Action, I have coached Dynamos juniors and the senior team, I have CAF B, funds permitting I will do CAF A coaching licence, I have a passion for football development, why are people like me being constantly ignored and certain people are recycled again and again?” This is a pertinent question indeed.
At the heart of the matter for Samora is that non footballpeople are flocking to the game but they do not have a vision for the game. The man had this to say, “There is blatant mismanagement ,when I speak, they call me a rebel. What system expects to succeed without a development plan? The councillors, when they vote, whose interests are they advancing, I doubt it is the national interests. If they call me a rebel for saying these things , then it is a tag that I will wear with pride..”
I would not finish the discussion without asking about his former club Dynamos. He chose to be diplomatic only saying, “ We need a unity of purpose, a house divided cannot stand, when two brothers fight, it is a stranger who reaps the harvest” I could not agree , unity of purpose is needed not only at Dynamos but in the Zimbabwe football fraternity in general. We need to restore the former glory and the fans will come back.
This was an interesting discussion. As the name implies, Samora is a self-styled football revolutionary. He speaks his mind, he breathes, talks and lives football, his passion for youth development is deep rooted.
He might come across as a rebel but if he is one, he is a rebel with a cause..a football cause. The vision from God , may it grow in leaps and bounds. I hope ZIFA and the powers that be can take some of his ideas on board. Nehanda Radio
