LAST Sunday curtains came down on the 2023 Premier Soccer League (PSL) with a momentous Chibuku Super Cup victory for Dynamos over league winners Ngezi Platinum. You could feel that Ngezi, after all their hard work and professionalism, perhaps deserved a league and cup double. But when Dynamos are in your way, in a cup final for a major trophy, it is never easy to deny the Harare giants. The season came with its fair share of drama as, at one stage, Harare teams were forced to shift base from the capital to adopt homes in Zvishavane, Gweru, Ngezi and Bulawayo because of the country’s stadia crisis. This was a season in which CAPS United played Highlanders at "home" and shockingly at Barbourfields. Spectacularly, it is the same season in which Dynamos found themselves calling Barbourfields Stadium home, the fortress of their greatest rivals Highlanders. It is the same season that Highlanders broke local records for match attendances. The same Bosso would however, flatter to deceive, despite going on a 19-game unbeaten run and eventually running out of steam in the crucial stage of the season. And sadly, the marriage between Portuguese coach Baltemar Brito and Bosso ended in divorce this past week. Hopefully, Bosso will find it in them to rise above standards of this past season to reclaim glory, having won their last league title in 2006. In football it is often believed that it is better to be a lucky manager than a good one, and certainly CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe might look back and count himself lucky at how he managed to finish the season at the Green Machine. While Chitembwe is not entirely a bad coach, his side has been inconsistent over the past two seasons, and it is easy to forget that he is a title-winning coach at the club. Chitembwe would be the first to admit there was an air of good fortune as his aging Makepekepe squad at one stage flirted with relegation. For all their troubles, the CAPS United faithful would surely love to forget 2023 in a hurry, as this was a year in which they lost three times to their sworn enemies Dynamos without even scoring a goal. Dynamos will look back and appease their huge ego with the Chibuku Super Cup victory over Ngezi Platinum in the penultimate game of the season. At the start of the season, DeMbare made 10 signings as they looked to be strong candidates to wrest the league title from FC Platinum. However, they fired head coach Herbert Maruwa with the side sitting in fourth position. The Chibuku trophy should fuel Dynamos’ desire to go for league glory next season. Ngezi Platinum coach Takesure Chiragwi surely turned himself into a coach of repute, as he managed to bring an elusive league title to Baobab. Chiragwi, virtually a lightweight, both in stature and track record, showed his tactical shrewdness and understated reading of the game to guide Madamburo to its historic first title. Now that the 2023 season is done, hopefully the forthcoming season will see better standards in the quality of play. We cannot have the league’s top marksman scoring a measly 13 goals. As we say goodbye to the 2023 season, hearty congratulations to Takesure Chirwagwi and his gallant Ngezi Platinum players as well as Genesis Mangombe and his DeMbare troops. JOHN KELLEY IN PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND MORE than 300 former international and leading club players are claiming significant damages for compensation following the emergence of serious brain damage from their careers. If successful, it will possibly amount to millions of dollars. They are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby for failure to warn them of possible medical repercussions after their retirement. They cite amnesia, dementia and Parkinson's disease. Most of them are anonymous but they include England stars Phil Vickery, Steve Thompson and Mark Regan. Vickery says he can remember nothing about England winning the World Cup in 2003 and he has problems remembering the names of his children. Alix Popham reflects that he goes out to buy milk and upon arriving at the shop does not remember why he is there. Four former New Zealand captains and top players have also made claims. A further 18 players are expected to be named shortly. Their first court appearance last week resulted in the throwing out by a judge of their attempt to submit a class action claim, meaning a joint one. He insisted on individual medical reports and a further hearing is set down for April or May next year. The London Daily Telegraph has quoted their main lawyer as telling the court: "Not even the gladiators of Ancient Rome would have signed up for this." It is only two years or so since the RFU changed many of rugby's playing laws, including setting a new maximum height of the shoulders for tackles. That worked to a degree but it was noted that this could not be fully controlled by referees. Rugby has faced criticism over many years for its alleged "brutality." The sport is now faced with its biggest survival threat in 150 years or so since its inception. But there is to be no effect on the Six Nations tournament fixture which begins on 2 February. Such news is likely to be of great concern to parents in Africa, certainly in a country like Zimbabwe which has a long tradition of rugby. Just how safe is rugby in the wake of this development? The traditional playing schools and clubs in Zimbabwe will definitely be following proceedings, to see if indeed the future of their favourite sport is under threat at all. Sport Page 51 Alwyn Mabehla HawkZone Brain damage in rugby threaten sport A season full of twists and turns, drama and everything in between Phil Vickery holds the World Cup won by England in 2003, but says he doesn't remember it anymore. Ngezi Platinum are Zimbabwe's new football champions. NewsHawks 1ssue 160, 8 December 2023
NEWS $60 Covid tariff for visitors & tourists CULTURE Community radio regulations under review @NewsHawksLive TheNewsHawks www.thenewshawks.com Thursday 1 October 2020 WHAT’S INSIDE ALSO INSIDE Finance Ministy wipes out $3.2 Billion depositors funds Zim's latest land cStory on Page 3 Story on Page 8 Chamisa reacout to Khupe Unofficial president calls for emergeFriday 8 December 2023 Brain damage in rugby could threaten sport ALSO INSIDE Sports Springboks win Rugby World Cup ‘I’m sad for Zim and over the moon for Uganda’ ENOCK MUCHINJO LAWRENCE Mahatlane, the South African who helped mould Uganda’s cricket team into a competitive outfit, has expressed delight following the East Africans’ qualification to next year’s T20 World Cup but feels Africa is under-represented in the tournament. 47-year-old Mahatlane surprisingly left his role as Uganda’s head coach a month before the continent’s World Cup qualifiers in Namibia last month, but had presided over the team’s encouraging growth since his appointment in 2020. “I’m over the moon for the Cricket Cranes as the boys have worked hard over a long period of time,” Mahatlane told The NewsHawks this week. “I played a small part in helping the boys realise their potential and allowing them to dream.” Uganda’s success, alongside qualifiers host and fellow ICC Associate member nation Namibia, means Zimbabwe will not be in the West Indies and the United States next year – the only full member to miss out on the expanded T20 World Cup. While Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify has sparked huge uproar in the country, with the national board facing mounting pressure to resign, Mahatlane has praised the leadership in Ugandan cricket for laying the foundation for the team’s success. “A lot of credit has to go to chairman Badu (Bashir Ansasira), the secretary at the time Michael (Nuwagaba), and the former CEO Martin Ondeko. They helped in contracting players and giving them security so that they could focus on their cricket. At the time we had 10 contracted players and currently there are over 20. I’m not surprised at all as they have been a team of near misses for the longest time. A lot of people forget that they beat Afghanistan in 2009 so historically they have always had good cricketers who are natural athletes.” Namibia and Uganda will join automatic qualifiers South Africa at the World Cup, but Mahatlane – who has previously coached his country’s Under-19 team – reckons Africa should be having more representatives. “I’m not sure how many people are aware that Africa can have five teams at the T20 World Cup,” said Mahatlane. “The challenge is for our top three nations (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia) to finish in the top 10 for automatic qualification (the following tournament). So it was very sad to see Namibia and Zimbabwe not making the top 10 in Australia (in 2022). Hopefully in the next World Cups Africa can have more teams. I’m sad for Zimbabwe as they have some great players and over the moon for Uganda. Hopefully Associate cricket on the continent can be recognised and supported even more. More cricket needs to be played at this level to help teams develop. I can warn the world to watch out for Nigeria in the near future.” Lawrence Mahatlane being unveiled as Uganda's coach in 2020.