By Goodwill Zunidza
There is a staunch Caps United fan who drew instant fame courtesy of openly weeping after his favourite team lost to flamboyant newboys Scottland in a league match at Rufaro recently.
Unfortunately, or fortunately for Chamunorwa Mazhambe it has since become routine for cameras and notebooks to make a beeline for him immediately after the final whistle and capture him howling, mourning and wailing.
The popular Green Machine aficionado has shed his bucketful of tears on seven occasions in the 13 weeks of Castle Lager Premier Soccer League action so far.
His predicament is shared among all supporters of not only Caps United but sadly those of the other two big teams in the country, Dynamos and Highlanders.
Fanatically known as Zimbabwe’s Big Three, there is no more evidence to show for it on the field as another season proceeds with clear signs that it will again end in anguish for these three.
Caps was the last among them to land the title in 2016 but are fourth from bottom on the log with a paltry 10 points having won only twice.
Dynamos are deeper into the relegation zone seated on 16th position on the 18-team log with just nine points and boasting a single victory since the season started.
It was symbolic that when the two Harare giants clashed in Week 12, the game fizzled out into a 1-all stalemate.
They have each fired their coaches – Lloyd Chitembwe vacating for his former teammate Ian Bakala while namesake Lloyd Chigowe was replaced by Saul Chaminuka.
But the new coaches began their separate reigns with consecutive draws apiece before both slumped to familiar defeats last weekend.
Highlanders are as usual – since their last title victory in 2006 – blowing hot and cold although they presently lie in fourth position, six points adrift of log leaders MWOS.
To illustrate the demise of Caps and Dynamos and by extension, Highlanders, the trio was beginning of this season jolted by desertion of key followers who moved on to new offerings the premiership has to offer.
A superfan called ‘CheMhofela’, no longer certain of what the future holds, dumped Caps colours for Scottland, the same weekend Boban, a zealous DeMbare supporter, shifted his allegiances to Simba Bhora.
Highlanders lost two of its officials during the same period, including chief executive officer Ronald Moyo who eloped to the ambitious Scottland for the same post.
While Bosso can at least gloat over the five wins they have claimed in this season’s title race the mark is not good enough as it still leaves the Bulawayo giants off their perennial target of reclaiming the title they once won for four consecutive years 1998-2002.
Speaking to several football experts, it is clear each of the Big Three faces its own unique challenges that have collectively run all of them to the ground.
Nhlanhla Dube, a senior football administrator with close links to Highlanders, ties Bosso’s misfortunes to financial reasons only.
“Highlanders has the capacity to regain their household name and even to win the title this year but the team lacks adequate sponsorship,” says Dube.
Dube argues that the commercial endorsements Highlanders enjoy are not sufficient to meet the team’s vast growth needs.
Like Highlanders, Dynamos who last laid their hands on league silverware in 2014 also boast corporate financing but their players have gone on strike on multiple occasions complaining of non- payment.
Further, the one-time African Champions League finalists – home to the country’s biggest names in football like the late George Shaya and Moses Chunga – are now unable to attract top players, instead often losing some of their best performers to better-paying teams.
While Caps United remain competitive on the transfer market, they have continuously been found wanting as the season progresses when players start picketing for outstanding wages.
Football agent Mistry Chipere opines that the problems facing the Big Three are a microcosm of the state of football in Zimbabwe which has failed to evolve into a lucrative industry.
“It’s very difficult for Dynamos, Caps United and Highlanders to go back to where they were unless we begin to monetise our football,” Chipere of the Zimbabwe Football Diaspora fame, avers.
“Football must pay the investor not for the investor to pay football. There is no way you can run a team from an individual pocket without the team paying back to that individual pocket.”
He goes on: “With an average bill of US$20 000 a month, all PSL teams will not survive for long if they are getting nothing in return.”
At a casual glance the Big Three would appear insulated from collapse by reason of their strong multitudes of followers.
Indeed, Caps, Dynamos and Highlanders remain the only teams never to be relegated from the top-flight league.
They have jointly survived the toughest of economic times when moneybags like Amazulu, Blackpool and Monomotapa, among scores of others, came, saw and went.
But with Chipere arguing that local football is run like a social pastime not as a business, it seems the Big Three have merely mastered the art of survival and never thought of growing.
New teams such as MWOS, Simba Bhora and Scottland appear to have learnt from the failings of the Big Three and seem to have prepared to last longer.
They not only splashed big on player investment but went a step further to establish their own facilities.
Both MWOs and Simba Bhora obtained long leases for Ngoni and Wadzanai Stadia respectively while Scottland are reportedly making progress in renovating Mabvuku Stadium.
However, the limited local football environment threatens the sustainability of any ambitious team.
“It’s a bubble that will burst,” warns Chipere.
“Until football is taken as a business, most investors will soon realise that they are throwing money into a bottomless pit.”
New Ziana
