By Anesu Chakanetsa

THERE is that moment when a football player chooses to go anti-basic and employ the most daring dribbling skills, be it a ‘rabona’, ‘panenka penalty’, ‘the elastic dribble’, ‘hat trick’, ‘nutmeg’ or ‘chekuseri’, just for the purpose of entertaining fans.
And fans respond with unison roars of ‘Hiiii! haaa! hiii!, as that most daring player goes about his dribbling business, sometimes on well-known bone-crushing defenders.
However, such moments have become a rarity in Zimbabwean football.
While there might be a difference between showboating and dribbling, both might be purposeful, if done well.
Dribbling varies, from just running with the ball or eliminating opponents with different skills.
The main target is to penetrate opponents’ defense and create space as well as goals.
Showboating is to play ‘bizarre’ football, meant to entertain fans and buy time while the team is winning.
Dribbling can also be part of showboating.
Last year’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) season saw analysts lamenting lack of goals by strikers, some of them with a lot of football experience.
Well, for this year, goals are raining; only Zimbabwean fans do not get enough.
During Harare’s 40th league derby, between CAPS United and Dynamos on September 3, Lloyd ‘Samaita’ Mutasa brought in Tawanda Macheke, for Denver Mukamba, a well-known dribbler.
Dynamos fans, it appears, have little faith in him.
But just moments after his introduction, he close-controlled the ball and then placed a rabona pass that found Christian Entouba with acres of space.
Dynamos fans went into a frenzy, as if a goal had been scored, leading to fans thinking a goal has been scored.
It was a skill that most people did not expect from Macheke, a Midlands State University (MSU) student.
The player went on to make lovely touches with his counterpart Cleopas Kapupurika, another rising dribbler.
A rabona is where a player kicks a ball using the motion of a backward leg, while the front leg gives balance.
Begun by Argentine’s Roberto Infante back in 1948, the skill became common with the likes of Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma and former Super Eagles star Austin Okocha using it for free kicks and corner kicks.
In recent times, Zimbabwean football, like English, Dutch and German football, has become too basic and rigid.
Showboaters in football always divide opinion, because some see showboating as an art form, an expression of footballing freedom, humiliating one’s opponent and emphasising superiority.
Others see showboating as unsportsmanlike, unnecessary and showing a distinct lack of respect for the opposition.
Most coaches hate players having fun with the ball, even if the team is winning by a wider goal margin.
When Christopher Semakweri performed the twist and cap skill on Zambian defenders during 2009 COSAFA Cup final at Rufaro Stadium, veteran coach Sunday Marimo rose from the bench and almost stepped onto the pitch, fuming at the skillful Semakweri.
Another former Warriors coach, Ian Gorowa, also gave dreadlocked Peter ‘Rio’ Moyo, a mouthful in a crucial CHAN qualification tie at Rufaro Stadium.
Rio dummied Zambian defenders whose bodies almost crashed, despite Zimbabwe being held at home by the Zambians.
While there is a slight difference between showboating and dribbling skills, showboating, which is purposeful wasting of time and entertaining fans, might turn nasty if poorly executed.
That is what happened back in 2007, when Highlanders were leading Esperance by a goal to nil, and the latter was pressing the former so much one of the most daring goalkeepers in Zimbabwe, Tapuwa Kapini employed his routine showboating tactics.
Late in the match, he received a back-pass from his defender and decided to juggle the ball to buy time, but failed to clear it in time.
His clearance bumped into an oncoming Esperance striker, deflecting into the back of the net.
Two years back, Kapini had seen his defenders and defensive linkmen, Esrom Nyandoro and Tinashe Nengomasha, being molested by the great out-and-out dribbler, Okocha, who had become the centre of attraction in the gigantic National Sports Stadium.
But the jealous and ambitious Kapini rolled the ball into play, dribbled past two Nigerian players and then Okocha, and kicked the ball away to allow himself to get back to his sticks.
At least, for the Zimbabwean side, fans paid for that, but Okocha became the talk of town with his showboating skills.
During their heyday, Benjamin Konjera and Peter Ndlovu used to dazzle for the Dream Team, as former commentator Admire Taderera would always be heard shouting: “Konjera, cutting through Cameroon defense like a hot knife cutting through margarine”, and: “Ohhh Peter Ndlovu, washing them like clothes, cleansing them one by one and leaving them on the wire line.”
Ndlovu had always been like that during his days at Highlanders, when he was nicknamed ‘Nsukuzonke’.
But the story of dribbling and showboating is not complete without the mention of George Shaya and Moses Chunga.
Yesteryear soccer fans know five-time Soccer-Star-of-the-Year Shaya as the Mastermind, well known for producing accurate passes for strikers.
But when out and out strikers failed, he would be seen at the touchline bowing down thinking, and would come back in play, to cripple defenders and eventually score, hence the name ‘The Mastermind’.
Chunga had a well-known game plan; the first half was for passing and scoring, while the second half was show-time, recalls one of Dynamos old fans, Clive Murehwa.
“We went to the stadium (Rufaro) to watch Chunga, not Dynamos versus Highlandes or Black Aces,” said Murehwa.
“When Dynamos were leading, he would put the ball at the back of his head and invite defenders with his finger.
“Bravely the defenders would come, not knowing what he wanted to do with the ball, then, it was something else…something new every day.
“He would stand on the ball and salute the fans who had paid.
“We liked him, with his afro hair, T-shirt collar rolled up, no tuck-in.
“He appeared rogue but we still liked him.”
As it is, Zimbabwean football is now rigid, with skillful players existing in stints.
The last time Highlanders fans roared at skills was when Johannes ‘Signature’ Ngodzo dribbled and led the team to the 2006 title.
Semakweri ran rings around Monomotapa to 2008 glory while Denver Mukamba did the same in 2012.
Legendary former Mighty Warriors attacker Precious Mpala was also known for her dazzling skills.
If it was not for the slippery Talent Chawapiwa and Ovidy Karuru, Zimbabwe would have not been talking about the 2017 COSAFA trophy.
Remember Knowledge Musona’s panenka penalty against Swaziland, which filled Zimbabwe’s players and fans with intrigue, and led to the other three goals.
What about his magnificent score at Gabon, against Tunisia at AFCON 2017, when he dummied two Tunisian defenders, (who jumped synchronically) and fired into the net?
Marvel Samaneka, former CAPS United, was such a marvelous dribbler for CAPS fans.
For most goalkeepers — Bruce Grobbellaar, Kapini, Tendai Tanyanyiwa and Japhet Muparutsa — showboating and time-wasting skills would keep fans entertained and opponents furious.
Dynamos’ Tonderai Mateyaunga has just joined the league.
This year’s PSL has been scintillating, with the likes of Harare City’s Malvin Gaki, Ngezi’s Donald Teguru, Dynamos’ Cleopas Kapupurika and Bantu’s Obriel Chirinda coming to the party.
But only time will tell, whether coaches will allow them to become the Chungas of their time or the Okochas of Zimbabwe.
It’s time coaches look into that so that fans get entertained and thrilled again.
After all, fans pay for the entertainment.