I believe we still have the best squad, and its still game on. The competition is getting hot and tricky in and outside the field of play. I also believe Highlanders are fighting fairly in terms of competition, and its hard not fair to expect a team being on form throughout the season.
The good thing is that when we aint playing well we are at least picking a point(s), a characteristic that defines a champion. I believe if our team is to fail to win the league title, people should not lose heart because I believe we have a great squad this season who are doing their best under difficult conditions.
The manner is which our football is structured does not favour Highlanders to win the championship - but I believe so far so good and we can even win it, moreso at this stage when it is inceasingly becoming clear that game is heavily skewed in favour of Dynamos and Harare teams. I argue thus because it is not by default, but a deliberate design that we have 50% (8) of the teams in the PSL coming from Harare.
The relegation and promotion matrix will always ensure that Harare maintains 50%+ stake in the PSL membership. Some teams playing in the Eastern Region are based in Chitungwiza and surrounding Harare areas. In a 'good' season Harare can add a team from the northen region D1 and Eastern Region whose home ground would be Rufaro or some venue in Harare. This is not necessarily true for the Southern Region. Next season there is a realistic chance that we might be having Chicken Inn and Highlanders in the PSL in the even of ZPC Hwange being promoted. This has a huge bearing to Highlanders and outside the capital teams as they have to travel more frequently to the capital.
For some teams without sound financial base like Kwelas it can even be worse. It is not surprising when you hear that a PSL team failed to feed the boys after a game in Mutare, because travel chews a lot of money. I believe this scenario is even more serious for teams outside Harare and Bulawayo, and hence we have never seen a team from the two cities winning the title. Little Monoz and Motor Action have won it before and thanks to this skewed nature of the PSL.
It is so sad that even financially stronger teams like FC Platimum can fail to compete effectively when chased by Dynamos and Harare teams.
There are no derby matches in Gweru, Hwange, Mutare and totally no PSL action in Beitbridge, Gwanda, Vic Falls, Plumtree, Kwekwe etc, but teams are crammed in Harare. I believe this is a sad scenario that does not favour proper development of the game of football in Zimbabwe. The Harare teams only travel 8 times throughout the season out of Harare, while Bulawayo teams have to travel 13 times and its even worse for Hardbody and moreso for Hwange from Mat North! If Hwange was not sponsored by Colliery I think they would have folded ages ago.
By Sbue
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
this is a well thought out analysis which however lacks credible comparison with other leagues around the world to see if the zimbabwean scenario is a unique one. the arguement lacks balance but we dont know whether its deliberate or not. for the record, even in the English league london presently has 5 teams namely Arsenal, Chelsea, tottenham,fulham and westham. so this is not new and swansea is expected to travel from wales to fulfil fixtures with london clubs 5 times. swansea joined the league knowing this fact and can not complain that ENGLISH FOOTBALL DOES NOT FAVOUR SWANSEA, because the league is not meant to favour it anyway. if you look in spain, madrid as a city has real,athletico and rayo vallecano. bilbao knows this and has to fulfil the fixtures. lets have balanced arguments which are not driven by emotions. BOSSO is a good team, no doubt and it enjoyed a purple patch. now that another team is also on a purple patch should not mean that the whole football set up has turned against BOSSO. VIVE LE FOOTBALL DU ZIMBAMBWE'. MERCI.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response but then, I think n your analysis, you did not dispute Bosso are hard done by powers that be, as if we follow your line of thought, Hwange are worse off than Highlanders and their judgement in a case involving Dynamos should make you swallow your words or pride and hopefully not both. Zim football deserves the last line you wrote but frankly, it is rotten.
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