Pasuwa should come out clear

Sport
I am one of Kalisto Pasuwa’s growing band of admirers.

I am one of Kalisto Pasuwa’s growing band of admirers.

Inside Sport with Michael Kariati

Four successive Castle Lager Premier Soccer League titles in addition to the Mbada Diamonds Cup triumph in four years ought to be described as a perfect record in any sporting language.

It is a pity that for all his achievements, Pasuwa did not get due recognition from the selectors of the Zimbabwe Castle Coach of the Year Award. In those four league title years, Pasuwa was supposed to have been crowned the coach of the year, but the selectors felt otherwise and gave him the award only once in 2012.

I have always questioned the selection process and up to now, I strongly believe Pasuwa should have received the award in 2013 ahead of Bigboy Mawiwi and I am also of the opinion that Saul Chaminuka did not deserve the honour he was accorded last season ahead of Pasuwa.

Ironically, both Mawiwi and Chaminuka were fired for poor results, a year after they had been crowned the best coaches in the country ahead of Pasuwa.

Even with the national teams right now, Marabhundu has done far beyond expectation considering the environment he has been working under.

So far so good! Pasuwa has done well with both the senior national team and the Under-23 side. The Young Warriors have qualified for the Africa Games to be held in the Congo Brazzaville while the Warriors are also on the verge of qualifying for the 2016 Africa Nations Championships after they beat the Comoros.

The Warriors are also riding on the crest of a success wave after their surprise 2-1 win over the Flames of Malawi in the first of their 2016 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

This is probably one of the best starts for the Warriors considering the fact that the win was achieved away from home.

A win against the Syl Nationale of Guinea at the National Sports Stadium during the first week of September will put the Warriors in a very strong position to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals having missed out in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

The Warriors have previously qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations Cup under the guidance of local coaches Sunday Chidzambwa in 2004 and my good old friend Charles Mhlauri in 2006.

On the strength of that, Chidza-mbwa and Mhlauri were rewarded with offers in South Africa and the US. Pasuwa seems destined for similar rewards should he continue with his strong groundwork.

Although I had doubts about his capabilities at the time he was appointed national coach, I now believe Pasuwa is the right man to take the Warriors to the Promised Land in spite of the obtaining financial dire straits dogging our football.

I agree that Pasuwa is a family man who needs to be paid for his services in order to shoulder his responsibilities. That is the reason why he dragged Dynamos to court for their failure to pay him for the four league titles he gave the club in succession.

However, one thing, I do not agree with is the manner in which Pasuwa he has been handling his administrative challenges with the national teams. I am of the opinion that Pasuwa is not treating the Warriors issues in a professional manner.

That he would be with the players today and disappear tomorrow only to resurface again the following day, or just before the game, is simply not the way to go. A man makes his decision and sticks with it.

Yes, I understand the fact that he is not being paid for his services, but he has to make a bold decision once and for all – to stay with our national teams or not.

I respect Pasuwa for all his achievements, but I do not subscribe to his on-and-off behaviour.

He might think he is hurting the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), but that is not the case. His on-and-off behaviour with the Warriors and the Young Warriors is hurting the millions of fans who respect his achievements and look up to him for good results.

The truth is that the nation cannot continue to be held at ransom by the man they have so much belief in. He has to come out clear on whether he is taking the job or not, regardless of the circumstances.

Pasuwa has to be reminded that he was never forced into the job. He accepted the job knowing pretty well that those before him, the likes of Chidzambwa, Norman Mapeza and Ian Gorowa had not been paid for their services.

He accepted the job with the clear knowledge that Brazilian Valinhos had dragged Zimbabwe before the international football controlling body Fifa for non-payment of his salaries culminating in the tragic exit of Zimbabwe from the world football jamboree. Mr Pasuwa, you must just come clean. Are you in it or not? Our national teams will always have a coach under whatever circumstances.

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