Of soccer players and visas

Gaborone - While it is universally acknowledged that football is the best thing to ever happen to a man's Sunday programme, it should also be recognised that the women in our lives hold the keys to a man's availability for a game of soccer.

Many a time have FC Broadhurst players committed themselves to coming early for their next fixture but this has not been as players like Freedmore Sidume, Thulani Moyo, Justice, Benjamin Sibanda, Moses Vurayai often have approval for their visas to leave home for a game of football stalled by their life partners.

The most recent casualty of a visa denial is hard running midfielder, Freedmore Sidume whose application has been turned down twice this season while Benjamin Sibanda has a of late been leaving the house camouflaged as one going outside to water the garden only to leave the bucket by the gate and return home at 2pm to an angry wife. No one knows as yet how he manages to sneak out with his boots but unconfirmed reports are that he leaves his boots with Tinashe Mutize while other reports suggest that he wears his boots as he goes to water the garden only for him to dump the bucket at the gate and climb over the gate and run as fast as his feet can carry him.

Moses Vurayai came out clear last sunday, revealing that "it is wishful thinking guys to say we can make it here at 8:30 in the morning, maybe if we say 9:30" because some players have to first fulfill some fixtures at home before they can come for "other" fixtures. Vurayai revealed that failure to fulfill the morning fixtures may lead to severe sanctions and regrettable consequences.

There are however players like Parkers who are known to be bachelors but have always stunned team mates and the coach also as they also apply for a visa from undisclosed officers. Maybe its high time the team went for camp on the eve of each match. This will save the team from having players coming for a match on an empty scrotum, painful back and a divided mindset.

This comes on a backdrop of the team's good start to the season: 9 points from the first three matches with the team showing excellent cohesion though a serious goal keeper is needed. The team's defence is capable of keeping a clean sheet but it is let down by the absence of a good goal keeper. The team's two goalkeepers; Vusa "Mlava" and Ndumiso Mthombeni, are now in form 5 and at university respectively meaning they now need more time with their books but sources close to the pair reveal that even on sundays when they have the day to themselves, the duo has now turned to the vocation of entertaining those of the fairer sex.

The day Tinashe didn't score

Gaborone- FC Broadhurst collected maximum points against bitter city rivals Gaborone Central last sunday in a 9 goal thriller that saw the striking duo of Benjamin and Tinashe fail to register their names on the score sheet, for the first time in as many games.

But it was Tinashe's failure to score on a morning that saw "prodigal son", Zeal grab a hat trick, that hogged the limelight as it has become certain that he scores in every game. It just not his day but however he went home with a merry heart as he had a trio of assists.

Maybe this is the turning of a new leaf for a player often criticised, even by one Cephas of struggling G West FC, of being able not to pass the ball to his team mates. Three assists are no fluke that the player is coming to the realisation and full understanding of the word "teamwork".

Benjamin also failed to score, with the other goals coming from Toffy whose constant sterling performance week in week out, can not be over emphasised. Toffy grabbed a brace to cap yet another beautiful day on the wide side of the midfield. Does this therefore imply that Benjamin and Tinashe feed off each other? If so then this will present problems for Coach Bongs who has vowed not have the duo in same line up. The coach's arguement is that the pair rarely passes the ball to any other play instead "Benji" chooses to pass the ball to "Tinz" who also kindly returns the favour regardless of which part of the field his striking partner would be at.

The coach's wrath over the pair's unsporting behaviour was trebled during one game when the coach himself was playing. He was a in a good scoring position, just by the edge of the 16 yard area when Tinz got a pass from Simba with the only logical and possible thing to do was to turn to his right and slide the ball to a Bongs who was calling for it. Maybe Tinz goes deaf to other voices on the pitch except for that of Benji, because instead of passing his long suffering coach, Tinz turn to his left and tried to scoop the ball to his Benji who was clouded by a thicket of defenders.

That marked the end of wonderful move that had seen Thutsi make an unusual successful run on the right flank. "Yikho ngingafuni ukulidlalisa loyiTwo (that's why i don't want to play the two of you at the same time)," was how Coach Bongs reacted to Tinz's move.

Prodigal son returns home

Gaborone - The much anticipated city derby lived upto its billing with FC Broadhurst walking away with the much coveted 3 points while a hat trick by new signing Zeal was the talking point of the 9 goal thriller, writes Simba Nembaware.

It has become the norm that a player always scores in a match when he plays against his former club and "our prodigal son" did fulfill this belief by scoring three goals against his former club, Gaborone Central FC. Zeal's joining of Broadhurst was a matter of time and patience as the bulky player exhibited signs of frustration during the closing months of year 2009 during this rather subdued stay there.

The 2010 season's opener saw was the routing of out of sorts and hapless G-West FC by already on fire FC Broadhurst and it is during this match that Zeal is reported to have nicodemously hinted to the troublesome duo of Benjamin Sibanda and Tinashe Mutize that he wants to play for FC Broadhurst. He got his full club debut at Bus Rank - Fire Stadium when FC Broadhurst dispatched an over confident Gaborone Hotel FC 6-1. He did not score during this match but his dominating figure in the middle of the park was enough problems for Gaborone Hotel.

Sources at FC Broadhurst say Zeal owes his full debut against Gaborone Hotel to the absence of Freedmore Sidumbe whose visa had expired. Sidumbe's absence saw Zeal take the anchor man's role again in the 5-4 win over Central during the much waited for sunday match at Maoka. While it is good news that the prodigal son is finally back, questions have already started pilling up on the formation that Coach Bongs is set to use as he now has Zeal, Ronny and Sidumbe for the same position.

After being exposed to a barrage of attacks from Zeal during his hey days at Central, no nonsense central defender, Moses Vurayai believes the "the lost boy" will be more effective as a striker as he is able to use his stature to out muscle and intimidate defenders. If this is to happen then either Tinashe or Benjamin will have to get accustomed to warming the bench or dropping into midfield. But Benjamin has already shown that the midfield is not his favourable position as he played out of position during Broadhurst's demolishing of Gaborone Hotel thereby exposing his midfield partners of the day: Simba, Hlo and Zeal.

As the squad continues to strenthen, Coach Bongs' wits will be brought to the fore as he will be expected to maintain his winning streak while also affording all his players even playing time on the pitch or risk frustrating players into walking out on the club.