January 2013 Horizon Man of the City: Adam "Adamski" Ndlovu

They say football is the beautiful game, but Bill Shankly was more accurate when he said, “people think football is a matter of life and death; I can assure you it is much more serious than that”. Nowhere is this truer than in Africa. With difficulties on the political and economic front the people look for heroes elsewhere; they look for hope, strength, loyalty, excellence and integrity, and more often than not they find it in stadiums. The modern day gladiators take to the field with bursts of speed, dogged resolve and passion that give people hope and comfort. Zimbabwe is no exception. The people of this nation love soccer but more than that they love their soccer players.

From the dusty streets of Makokoba emerged 3 such heroes. I don’t know what exactly they did in the Ndlovu’s backyard but a law should be passed that every household should follow the same regime because for one home to produce three world-class footballers in the same generation is phenomenal.

Adam Ndlovu was born on the 26^th of June 1970 and followed his elder brother Madinda Sikhathazile Ndlovu into professional football playing for Highlanders. A bustling forward with amazing heading abilities and a shrewd sense of positioning, Adam became part of the trio of brothers that inspired Highlanders to dominate local football in the early 90’s, donning the number 13 jersey as if to taunt the footballing gods. Adam was part of the “Dream Team” that captured the hearts of a nation. I have tried to quantify this man’s contribution to this city and nation and I am at a loss for the exact words. From the fairytale story of his ‘rags to riches’ ascendance in his station in life that inspired many, to his gritty and determined approach when chips were down that made you proud to be Zimbabwean. Adam Ndlovu is the first reason I proudly sang my national anthem.

Everyone has an Adam story; from his trademark waggle when he scored to his well-rehearsed impersonation of the firing squad - one of his more dramatic goal celebrations. One looked forward to him scoring because the celebration was always something special, a true entertainer. Between 1992 and 2004 Adam and his brothers became part of every Zimbabwean home. Bulawegians beamed with pride as they continued to power Zimbabwean soccer. The nation’s second top goal scorer of all time, Adam is summed up by his goal against Cameroon in 1994. Zimbabwe was on the verge of qualifying for USA 94 and all they needed was a draw in Yaoundé. The Cameroonians scored 2 early goals and added a third early in the second half. The team was in disarray and a nation’s heart was breaking. Reinhard Fabisch had been sent off for his infamous outburst at the officials which included him tearing money and throwing it at the officials for their ‘fair’ approach to the game. With about 15 minutes to go, a nation watched as the Dream Team’s dream turned into a nightmare.

Adam received a throw in just inside the Cameroonians’ half, dribbled his way past the entire defence and slotted home a gem. The way he ran to pick up the ball from the net will be forever etched in my memory – his intensity and drive inspired his teammates and though Zimbabwe lost, the Warriors in that last 15 minutes gave it all. His courage and strength shone through in that moment, turning one of Zimbabwe’s darkest moments in football into a reference point for all - a lesson on not giving up, resilience and committing fully in the moment one is required to.

Shakespeare says “the evil that men do lives after them but the good is interred with their bones”. Adam Ndlovu, our hearts break at your sudden passing away. How do we thank you for the memories? How do we express our gratitude for the hope and comfort you gave us? More importantly, how do we move on scared that one day it’s possible we might forget? A true hero, an icon. For his outstanding contribution to the city, it is our pleasure and honour to posthumously award the late Adam Ndlovu our Man of the City 2012 Award. May his soul rest in peace.

May 2013

The number 20 is what this season will be remembered for: Man United won a record 20^th title, and Brutus Van Persie donning the No.20 jersey was the top goal scorer. To put the cherry on the cake for the media, the Premier League’s founding date is the 20^th February 1992 and they are 20 teams in the league. One can see the puns and witticisms going on for a while so when the shock of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement wore off 20 seemed like a nice round figure to call it a day. After all Sir Alex had succeeded in knocking Liverpool off its “perch”, building Man United into a global power house brand, making them the most successful team in the EPL - there seems to be nothing left for Fergie to achieve. Hats off to one of the best football managers the 

world has ever seen! The hair dryer and ‘Fergie time’ included.

As usual, the League gives you enough controversy to ensure that World Peace and the Middle East question are not what men are talking about when they meet. Suarez was handed a 10 match ban for his not so convincing impersonation of Rob Pattinson of the Twilight fame. The last time the world was this concerned with a bite was when Mike Tyson took a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear. I guess any attempt to defend Suarez will fall on its face when one looks at the company he is keeping. Iron Mike, Vikings, Vampires and several other characters in Quentin Tarantino movies aren’t exactly the best proponents of the use of minimum force. That having been said the timing of the ban and the indignation from some of the quarters was suspicious; the fact that it ensured that Suarez would not be able to add to his goal tally, handing the Golden Boot to RVP seemed like a befitting parting gift to Sir Alex from the FA. It also ensured that those who were going to ignore Suarez’s shenanigans and vote for his mesmerizing talent had to, as lawyers do, “consider” their vote. The result was Gareth Bale scooping the award. One wonders how much weight him being British played in all this…

The champions have been crowned and Man United have silenced the critics and more importantly their ‘noisy neighbours’. While the champagne bottles popped at Old Trafford on Sunday a cloud was hanging over the celebrations: the retirement of Sir Alex  and Paul Scholes confirmed the end of an era. Sir Alex’s plea to the fans to back their new manager David Moyes confirmed the anxiety over the Red Devils future. With Ferguson Manchester United are a good team. The question is, how will the institution deal with the departure of its cornerstone? Watching them deal with this change will make next season ever more gripping. Watching it all crumble I hope even more fun.

Arsenal are currently fifth with 2 games to go and the battle for the latest Champions League slot with Gareth Bale F.C is delightful to watch for the neutral. Wenger, whatever the outcome of the last 2 games, will have to bolster his squad with one or two big names. Truth is, Arsenal have managed to remain competitive without looking threatening. Wenger looks set to retain his job and decide how he wants to play it - like all good accountants the books will be looking good whichever way he decides to proceed.

They say 2^nd is first to lose and Man City will be keenly aware of that feeling after losing the Premiership. They have no silverware this season after failing to put Wigan in its place in the FA Cup. All they have is the Champion’s League slot and the cold hard lesson  that at the top total focus is required. Mancini’s running of their dressing room seems questionable but it would seem dangerous to sack him and start again. I say give him another season and see if the lessons have been learnt! For now the noisy neighbours have been taught how to keep quiet.

Chelsea are known as the Blues and their administration has had the same feel. The sacking of Di Matteo, Benitez’s arrival and his supposed imminent departure have meant the players are always distracted. Whoever is in charge next season will have to complete the transition  from the old guard to the new guard: will the Special One return? will they keep Torres? will Torres keep his mask on? decisions, decisions – that’s what Stamford Bridge’s summer is about. If only money could buy patience…

Last year Tottenham missed out on the Champion’s League because Chelsea won it. Now they are in a fight for the last spot with Arsenal. They deserve the shot at the big boys league but their over reliance on Mr. Gareth Bale will have to be addressed in the Summer. AVB will have to be shrewd with his summer purchases -no fancy scandals! He will have to get a good set of boots he can live in that will see him in a better position; edging his London rivals for the forth slot should buy him enough leverage - after all, to dare is to do.

As predicted Everton’s hard work will see the summer transfer market seek to put them back to mid table mediocrity. David Moyes, their astute manager, is leaving and I am sure he will take any prodigious talent with him. If not, the other clubs will use his departure as an excuse to ransack Goodison Park. After finishing above Liverpool (6^th) and seeking to build on it, they have had the rug pulled from under them. It doesn’t look good; hopefully they will find the right man to lead them.

By now I am sure you have figured out where my passions lie – Liverpool finished the season without any Silverware and with flashes of exquisite passing football that weren’t enough to convince me. Liverpool still look average. Rodgers will have to persuade the Yankees to spend this summer and one hopes he won’t buy his chums from Swansea. Liverpool need about 3 more players, including a world class defender, a good ball winner and a good finisher in the mould of a Shearer or Ruud if they are to mount a serious challenge; all in all a good fifty million pounds well spent will give us the edge needed. I take this opportunity to welcome Augustus to the Reds family. YNWA.

Lastly QPR confirmed what my grade four teacher Mrs. Marsh taught me: money can’t buy everything. The team had it all: sound financial backing, talented players and, in the last half of the season, one of the best survival coaches there is. Still the Rangers went down. Their existence in the League over the past two seasons will be remembered for the role they played in the Citizens winning the Title. They will have to get stuck in the Coca-Cola division and re-strategize. Reading is going down as well, and with Wigan having got the FA Cup kiss of death, I suspect Martinez will be moving soon and the Majedski Stadium will be the new venue in the second tier of the English football’s roster.

Till next time - Adios!! If you don’t like my thoughts: bite me.

April 2013

Karl Marx described religion as the opium of the people, so when I see stadiums packed to capacity on Sunday afternoons, lives arranged around the EPL fixtures, the fanatical following modern football teams have, I am tempted to believe that the people have found a new opium.

When I left you last time Man United had the treble in sight; cohibas were being passed around in anticipation of good things to come. They say one should not revel in others’ misfortune but when you are a Liverpool fan and all you ever hear is “can you count past 18?” or detailed descriptions of being knocked off perches, watching it all crumble was sweet!! The Galacticos, led by the Special One and CR7, knocked the Red Devils out of the Champion’s League. The winner in all this of course was Castrol and hair product manufacturers worldwide. As a CR7 anti-fan, I don’t like watching young children play football as the only thing worse than watching Ronaldo do his thing is watching a child try to be like him. I guess in this instance the ends justify the means - I would have gelled his hair for him if it meant Man United being humbled! To put the icing on the cake Chelsea had me singing a famous nursery rhyme on Easter Monday: “bah bah black sheep have you any goal? Yes sir, Yes sir. Ask Fergie!”. Demba Ba’s fantastic strike bundled United out of the FA Cup making it two out of two for the writer: move over Tommy Smythe!

So as it stands Man United are 15 points clear with 8 games to go. The dominant force in the Premiere League looks set to prevail yet again. I haven’t given up but I suspect the Mancini – Nasri bust up, Tevez’s trouble with the law, and speculation on Toure’s future have put paid the project. I sadly will have to keep the light on until all hope is snuffed out - it is my duty as a true Scouser!

With the title seemingly decided teams are planning their next campaign. Chelsea, as predicted, will part ways with Benitez at the end of the season, and the latest rumor is that the “Special One” and Ambromovich will be reunited soon. If that happens CR7 could be donning the blue jersey and Stamford Bridge will be a must watch! As for Man City I suggest the sheiks get rid of Mancini. The Citizens’ implosion is inexplicable; talent, resources and opportunity should result in success. Instead the Citizens find themselves in that awkward position of not having failed, bearing in mind their history but knowing full well that they are their own enemies. They are standing in their own way, when instead, like in all arms races, you need to make the most of your head start. Ciao Roberto!

The Gunners’ future is bleak: when Theo Walcott becomes a senior player in your team things are really bad! With Champions League football seeming unlikely next season I am not sure what the club’s ambitions are besides financial security. Arsene Wenger will have to remind us that he built the Invincibles and hope that will be enough to keep the axe at bay after all. If Liverpool has lived in the past for 20 years, surely Wenger will be allowed another year?? We will have to wait and see.

Liverpool are 7 points from a Champions League spot. Suarez is firing on all cylinders and is my player of the year and should get the Golden Boot as well. Sadly the rest of the team hasn’t performed as well - Stevie G fights on but the truth is the Reds need about four more world class players if they are to mount a challenge next season. They will also have to work very hard to keep Suarez when the big boys open their wallets. With their Wall Street owners that will be hard. In their words it won’t be “good business”. The team of the season has to be Tottenham led by Mr. IncrediBale. AVB (I was wrong about him) and his boys have been irresistible; free flowing football and a driven work ethic have made Spurs a joy to watch. Unearthing new talent as they go along, they are in 3^rd place and, barring burnout, they should qualify for the Champions League and seek to mount a serious challenge for the Premiership next season.

Meanwhile in the battle for survival it would seem the writing is on the wall for Reading. The question is are they reading from the same script as everyone else? QPR and their magician are running out of time and the great escape is beginning to look like the great fall. To add insult to injury their huge wage bill hangs over their performance, shaking some faith in the power of money to get you out of any fix.

Aston Villa, Wigan and Sunderland find themselves fighting to avoid the last berth available for the drop with the black cats hiring Paolo Di Canio in a bid to re-energize their team. Di Canio will have to summon the great Il Duce and the Furhrer for the last 7 games to ensure survival.

Riveted to my couch as the season comes to the end I have only one question: who has been the best player in the league this season? Bale, Van Persie, Demba Ba, Suarez, Yaya Toure? Come on, chaps (and chicks) pick your player and tell me why.

March 2013

It’s Oscar season and with the Pistorius tragedy still on everyone’s lips the temptation to drop a quip is almost overbearing, but for the sake of true sports fans I will restrain myself and confess that whilst the world is wondering who is going to win Best Film, who is going to scoop Best Actor, who will cause a stir on the red carpet, and of course will the “blade gunner” get off, my kind are sick to the core at Fergie’s genius, as begrudgingly predicted in my previous installments. The Red Devils have increased their lead to 12 points and, to add insult to injury, have held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu, placing them in an enviable position for the return leg in the Champions League. They also have qualified for the quarter finals of the F.A Cup ensuring that their dream of the treble stays alive. DRAT!!!

So for all of you non Red Devils out there here is what you have to look forward to: the only team to blow a 12 point lead is - Yes, you guessed it: Liverpool!! So all we can hope is Fergie has tea with Benitez and Roy Evans and they teach him a trick or two. In the F.A Cup it is not as bleak. Chelsea who are out of the running in the league are Man United’s likely opponents in the quarter finals and they could ruin the Stratford End’s hope for a treble. The blues need this trophy to have a decent season. As for the Champions League, I hope Ronaldo’s hairdressers give him enough hair gel to enable him to ease past his markers and turn the Theatre of Dreams into the site of a horrible nightmare! So, if the writer’s prediction/hopes are true, come next installment Man United shall be leading the League but will not be part of the F.A Cup and the Champions League.

The Citizens have been a letdown. They gotten rid of the enigmatic and entertaining Ballotelli (the EPL’s loss), and Mancini seems to be looking to blame everyone else but himself for the team’s woes. 12 points adrift there is no room for error in their remaining games which they clearly have the quality to win. Toure and Tevez will have to step up and lead as Mancini has revealed he lacks a “liver” that can be entrusted with the Project. They are also still in the F.A Cup and winning, which might be enough for the fans; after all Rome wasn’t built in a day, even if you have the money to do it in a day.

Arsenal’s woes continue. They are out of the F.A Cup and virtually out of the Champions League and have no title prospects. The Emirates need a change. They have changed stadiums, players and the only thing they have not changed is their manager for the past 16 years. So by a process of elimination, maybe it's time for Wenger to step down. What will be decisive is if Arsenal will make it to the top four; if they don’t, Wenger should do the right thing and give “change” a chance. Sound familiar??

As for Chelsea, as already mentioned I hope they will save face with the F.A Cup. Clearly, they are in a transition phase and this season is the price they pay for saying goodbye to the Terry’s, Lampard’s and Drogba’s: a group that won everything and defined the club. This season’s failures can be excused and hopefully their Russian owner will use this watershed moment to see how far Chelsea have come and put in place phase 2 i.e. how to stay at the top.

Lastly the Reds: out of everything and with an outside/slim chance of making the Top Four; this season has been hard for the fans. Liverpool has been inconsistent and to be honest, has sometimes looked directionless, seeming to have too many average players to make the grade in a demanding league. Brendan Rogers’s philosophy of passing football is not wrong but one has to question his competency when he claims that Allen is the British Xavi. So in a nutshell, like Arsenal Liverpool need to have long hard look in the mirror and stop looking back. It will be interesting to see what they do during the off season to beef up their squad.

Tottenham and Everton continue their growth and the run in could see them replace Arsenal and Liverpool in the “Big Boys Council”. The challenge will be their ability to finance and galvanize such a transition. Will Tottenham keep Bale? Will Everton continue to improve? All these questions will be answered by the off season's wheeling and dealing. Good luck Spurs and Toffees.

As for the Survivor Series, QPR are still at the bottom with Wigan, Reading and Aston Villa too close for comfort with 14 games to go and 1 suspect from Norwich down. It is too close to the sink hole and any of those teams could go down depending on their fixture list. So as you watch it unfold, dreams getting crushed and heroes being made spare a thought for the Nottingham Forests and Blackburn’s of this world and revel in all that the EPL is, till the next time.

Go Ronaldo!!!

January 2013

Compliments of the season or should I be honest and just say “complications”? As expected, the frenetic holiday of the EPL was bound to have casualties and have everyone running for their cheque books as the transfer window opens. Scummester United, as they do, used the holiday to open a gap at the top and have all haters choking on the egg - wondering just how Sir Alex Ferguson does it. At the time of going to press the Devils had beaten Liverpool, confirming the Reds’ mediocrity. A bitter pill to swallow for all its fans and one wonders how it is possible to be average when you were once great. The Citizens, also known as the ‘noisy neighbours’, stumbled but continued to shout; though they are not as loud as they could be they are seemingly the only real threat, with the man in the mirror being their biggest challenge.  If Mancini can find a solution to Yaya Toure’s absence in January and galvanize his unit for a different kind of march on Rome, the title race come May will be interesting. Chelsea splashed out seven million pounds for Demba Ba and sold Sturridge to Liverpool for twelve million pounds. My arithmetic tells me that with some smart business Rafa could be begging for financial prudence in shrewd investment at the bridge…

Chelsea are still in with a shout but their internal wrangles “will Frankie leave?” “will Frankie stay?” “Bring back Di Matteo!” “We hate Rafa!” “We don’t like change!” and their owner’s “It’s my club” attitude will probably snuff out their challenge leaving them to fight another day.

As for the Wenger boys yet another financially successful season beckons. I doubt they will make the Top Four but then again they might not have intended to. Liverpool continue on their 23 year lesson on how not to win a title. In this particular chapter they explore the use of an inexperienced coach in conjunction with American owners more interested in baseball and ice-hockey. May all major clubs take note. I suspect it will get worse before it gets better. The blue half of Liverpool housed at Goodison Park are lauding it over their more illustrious neighbours. David Moyes and his team at Everton should take advantage of the January transfer window to beef up their squad and who knows a place in the Champions league could fall into their laps. In my previous article I predicted that AVB would be looking for a job before the season ends. I still think his agent shouldn’t pack away his CV just yet but it would seem he survived the holiday season and more importantly Tottenham have given up on breaking into the Top Four and resign themselves to the safety of the mid table.

It is at the bottom of the PL that the league promises the most excitement. The Queens Park Rangers with their escape artist and deep pockets are still at the bottom of the league and one wonders if one more attempt at throwing money at the problem this January will have the desired effect. Sadly history is not on their side. The team at the bottom after Christmas after the holidays rarely ever survives.

Aston Villa are also dancing with the devil and as we all know Lucifer is a tricky date. Villans will have to pay more attention to the Coca Cola division’s calendar and manual in case they will need to acclimatize soon. Reading completes the bottom trio with Wigan, Southampton and New Castle (who have just sold their best striker) keeping them company for an interesting “Survivor Series”.

So as the plot unfolds and it seems all too familiar as the Red Devils march on I find myself sympathizing with the project once again and I can go out for Abu Dhabi money. Here is the log for those who care and to the Anfield faithful YNWA...

Apology from the blog scribe...

My apologies for not keeping the blog updated over the months. I'll try to catch you up in the order that the articles were written....

The Evolution of Ebenezer Scrooge

It’s about to be Christmas and I am buzzing with excitement. The holidays bring out the best in me with my liver going for a personal best every time.

Christmas time is a special season and when I was growing up the Sales House advert which tried to capture the ideal of Christmas in Africa seemed pretty accurate. Everyone dressed to the nines; one or two roosters giving the ultimate sacrifice; the Christmas buses packed to the rafters, and the word ‘bonus’ softening even Ebenezer Scrooge’s heart and opening his wallet.

As a child Christmas was about new clothes, walking around the neighborhood and stuffing one’s face, and if you were lucky there were fire crackers going off left, right and centre. Like all children from our generation TV played an important role in my upbringing. So it was inevitable that my definition and experience of Christmas was going to clash with the whole western version of Christmas i.e. no snow, no reindeers, no overweight white old man with a penchant for chimneys and breaking and entry. Despite my reservations I still believed in Christmas and wondered if it would ever snow here and how Father Christmas would deal with the heat in that outfit.

As I got older and more mature (which doesn’t always follow) I found Jesus in Christmas and the spiritual side of Christmas became significant. Sadly age came with knowledge and I soon found out that Jesus wasn’t even born in December and the picture of Christmas the world was selling was distorted to say the least. Actually, it would seem Christmas as a whole was a machination of capitalism and creative marketing divisions the world over. It wasn’t steeped in fact or tradition. This loss of faith and general distrust of the whole season carried on into my early twenties where I found the joy of the holidays being with family and celebrating extensively whilst improving Delta Beverages’ sales. I would spare some time to celebrate the birth of the Saviour of Mankind without focusing on the inaccuracies shoved down our throats by the media. At the back of my mind and in my heart I liked the Father Christmas/Santa Clause thing and figured it was tribute to a Saint and the fables that came with it had to be indulged or, at worst, tolerated. Sadly my holiday fervor came crashing down when I discovered that Father Christmas, or at least his famous image was a creation of Coca-Cola. Well, sort of. Santa Clause as we see him is based on a famous saint whose generosity and benevolence was renowned, but over the years his character has evolved with his most significant make over being in the 1920’s when Don Draper in a bid to improve the sale of Coca-Cola during winter used Father Christmas to promote Coca-Cola. Through the extensive campaigns and the evident success of Coca-Cola their depiction of Santa has become the most accepted and recognized. As for the colours, they say it’s mere coincidence and nothing else. I wonder if that’s true.

So as I look forward to the holidays I don’t doubt their worth and importance. I just wonder if capitalism and all its trappings have not hijacked an important time, and if they have, how do we as a people not lose its essence and value to mankind’s growth? So as you revel in all that is Christmas and trip over tradition you don’t understand, pause for a moment to find what Christmas means to you and make it count.

See all you single ladies under the mistletoe! That’s if I can find any – hope the fake stuff counts!