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| Zimbabwe senior men football coach, Callisto Pasuwa is not a charismatic figure. He easily comes across as an unassuming, easy-going fellow who must be of a very few words. A devout member of the apostolic faith sect, he appears stoic about almost everything and during what has been of his Warriors tenure so far has sometimes developed shock absorbers to soak up even the worst of treatment. |
From enduring a journey to Malawi by bus, clutching a blanket, on national duty to going for months without receiving his salary even as he was doing well on the assigned job during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the man they call King Kali has sometimes taken the treatment of a slave.
Even as Zifa came up with the idea of setting up a High Performance Committee ostensibly to supervise the decorated coach, Pasuwa still went about his job quietly with an ounce of diligence. It would appear because of his modest personality, anyone could throw anything at the man without any qualms.
It is in this context that news that German-based former Warriors international George Mbwando was willing to help Pasuwa by offering technical details of some of the players the Warriors will face in their Group B in Gabon next year at Afcon was received with mixed reaction.
On the whole, the idea is bankable as it seeks to contribute to having the squad have adequate preparations for the biennial tournament and while it would be a welcome value-adding development, that arrangement comes with drawbacks that puncture holes into its inflated nobility.
Friday Football Echoes appreciates that the ex-defender is not in any way trying to hijack the Warriors Afcon project and partake in their glory and while Mbwando is sincere and well-meaning, the good intentions of his gesture are clouded by the nature of the arrangement.
Briefly, here is Gamechanger’s considered and humble opinion.
Pasuwa, as the national team coach should be the protagonist. If anyone should embark on such spy missions, then it should be Pasuwa himself. Granted, the former Dynamos coach has his evident technical and tactical shortcomings that have been exposed on several occasions – especially with the Warriors following their poor showing at Chan and Cosafa this year – but should this not offer a window of opportunity for the man to get exposure in Europe if we want to go that way? Pasuwa is clearly in need of fresher football ideas so he brings himself to speed with the latest world trends in the management of the game and this is where and when he should get it through these spy missions and, therefore, enhance his reading and understanding of the game so he can stand up to challenges on the international arena. Otherwise, it would do very little in helping matters if the national team gaffer was barraged with data from Mbwando if he would not know how to make best use of it. Proper interpretation of that complied data is key and critically crucial that Pasuwa needs the football mind or ideas to understand it correctly and apply it effectively.
As well as firsthand experience, what Pasuwa actually needs is a hands-on practice that will offer him the requisite skills and knowledge while also equipping him with the technical and tactical nuances of the game at the highest level. This is where Mbwando could come in handy by trying to secure King Kali a work-related learning placement at one of the German clubs or across Europe. Because, you see, Dear Reader, the approach at Afcon should be all-encompassing and consider the tournament overall and not just our group opponents; lest we risk running to a standstill in the latter stages should we proceed.
To have Mbwando relay the gathered data to Pasuwa would render things remote-controlled, yet putting the coach in front could save resources and time. The idea, really, should be investing in Pasuwa if we are looking at continuity with him (well, Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa declared that Pasuwa would remain in charge as long as he continues in office!). Chiyangwa was actually right to have referred the matter to Pasuwa, have him sounded out about the idea so he gives the nod himself, rather than just rubberstamping it.
Just spying without actually involving Pasuwa through active participation on the ground would only be a stopgap measure yet stiffer challenges like the 2019 Afcon and 2022 World Cup qualifiers and tournaments are coming our way. We simply have to look at the bigger picture of our national game looking ahead and going forward.
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