By Simba Jemwa
On Tuesday the morning temperature in Harare was partly cloudy. Paradoxically it is bright and sunny 24 hours on, but a little cooler. There is a perceptible chill in the wind.
Precipitation was at 10%, humidity at 47% and the wind having its way at 19 km/h.
The absence of car horns honking after the game or in the wee hours of this morning or flags streaming out of car windows and rowdy celebrations said it all.
Zimbabwe are out of the World Cup.
But it is worse than that. Zimbabwe are out having lost twice in four days to the same team: the Black Stars of Ghana, a friend of this nation during and after the liberation struggle. Following the match few Zimbabweans are feeling very charitable towards their Ghanian ‘friends’.
Sometimes in Zimbabwe people concede: “I don’t like Mondays,” and do not bother to get up. But now they don’t like Tuesdays either. This particular Tuesday, Ghanians will surely be taking no chances with corny football jokes.
Although it is perhaps, in fact obviously an over-cautious reaction, the disappointment is great and aggressive media commentators are dishing out bile.
Of the more reflective, some said that Norman Mapeza’s ‘men’ had not learned their lesson having been outplayed by first South Africa then Ethiopia then Ghana only to concede a soft goal in this home group game.
They were certainly caught cold by Tomas Partey’s seemingly harmless freekick late in the first half at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare. Others said the Ghanaians played a more physical game and performed more athletically against a sluggish Zimbabwe.
The disappointment in the face of Zimbabwe’s footballing superstar Marvelous Nakamba reflected that of the country.
One football fan’s response was simple and said it all: “This is a very sad day.”
Before this World Cup qualifier, the fan told Ezemidlalo that he wants Mapeza to stay on as the national team coach. He also stressed that many more talented Zimbabwean players need to play abroad in more competitive leagues to help future World Cup campaigns.
At the end of this latest World Cup adventure the plaudits are absent and the yellow shirts have already been put away.
Success has many fathers. Defeat is an orphan.
The sheer disbelief and disappointment after sporadic world class performances against South Africa, Ethiopia and Ghana is only slowly sinking in. It might best be summed up by the words of Ben Koufie, a former Warriors coach and himself a Ghanaian who foresaw Zimbabwe’s perennial struggle when it matters: “Even if you bring a coach from the moon, Zimbabwe will never qualify for the big tournaments.”
Oh how prophetic these words have become!
