By Sheldon Hakata

SPORT is good for instilling accountability and leadership skills, among other important traits.
Furthermore, exercising is a natural way to loosen up.
Football is one such sport which has helped people the world over to overcome stress.
Even during the liberation struggle, special days like the Seven Heroes’ Day celebrated on April 28 (commemorating the seven Chinhoyi heroes who fell in battle at the beginning of the Second Chimurenga) and the ZANU Day on August 8 (commemorating the formation of ZANU) were set aside for recreation purposes.
A lot of sporting activities were lined up, with soccer being the most popular.
Football matches would be arranged, with some of the players being stars who had played for local teams like Old Highfield, Ruzororo Youth Club, among others, back in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
Some of the players were products of various youth clubs based in Harare’s high density surbubs of the then Harare, now Mbare, and Highfield before crossing the border to join the liberation struggle.
Freedom fighters like Cde Brooks Chinembiri (born Canaan Nyika Mugadzaweta) had promising football careers before they left the country to join the liberation war.
It was a pleasure for the war-weary cadres in the camps to watch some exciting football from teams composed of boys from all over Rhodesia in the middle of the bush in Mozambique.
And as we celebrate Heroes’ Day, we are now in the second half of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) season and every team is scrambling for points, for different reasons.
Others are battling to avoid relegation.
Some are playing catch-up, while those at the top are playing to maintain pole position.
Every team is desperate for points, especially at this stage of the season.
Relegation-threatened Hwange FC are trying to find their feet following a poor start to the season.
The dismal start cost coach Nation Dube and his technical crew their jobs and they have been replaced by former Harare City gaffer Bigboy Mawiwi who has so far managed to improve the coal miners’ performances with two wins on the trot.
How Mine have been hit by administrative problems which are threatening to derail their PSL campaign, with suggestions that players have not been receiving their salaries on time.
However, coach Kelvin Kaindu has lauded his players’ mental strength during the trying times.
All teams step up their game whenever they are playing Dynamos and the gold miners host the Glamour Boys (Dynamos) tomorrow at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
Two of the country’s great footballers, former Dynamos and Warriors defender, Sunday ‘Mhofu’ Chidzambwa and former CAPS United and Warriors’ mercurial midfielder, Stanford ‘Stix’ Mutizwa, are feeling the heat in the dugout as their teams struggle for form.
Dynamos have refused to fade away in the title race.
Lloyd ‘Samaita’ Mutasa’s men also have two games in hand and if they can collect maximum points from both matches, they can top the log table.
Tonderai Ndiraya and his Ngezi Platinum Stars are riding high, topping the log table.
Ngezi-based platinum miners star striker, Terrence Dzukamanja has scored four goals in three matches and his tally is now at eight after a slow scoring start to the season.
The ‘Gamecocks’, Chicken Inn, have significantly improved under the tutelage of Rahman ‘Rush’ Gumbo who has gained a lot of experience and foreign exposure, clinching league titles in Malawi, Botswana and locally with Highlanders as a coach.
Norman Mapeza is silently working his way up, going after the coveted silverware which has eluded him, always at the last minute.
Highlanders, after relieving assistant coach Cosmas ‘Tsano’ Zulu of his duties, may find it hard to win as he was a good motivator and knew how to psyche up players.
Harare City coach, Philani ‘Beefy’ Ncube’s tactics have helped the ‘Sunshine Boys’ since his arrival at the premiership club.
CAPS United have lately found the going tough and this has been attributed to its participation in the African safari.
The ‘Green Machine’ was in the demanding Champions League which took a huge toll on players physically.
This is no surprise as big clubs in Europe have struggled after their Champions League matches.
Leicester City also struggled just after winning the league and participated in the Champions League.
The Green Machine are not the only ones who have endured such tough times after a successful story.
The reigning champions bounced back to winning ways after a run of four defeats in their last five matches.
Sunday’s victory over ZPC Kariba, coached by the legendary Sunday Chidzambwa, has invigorated CAPS United who believe they have turned the corner.
The champions might have finally found a way to end a miserable run that had triggered fears in some circles that they could be relegated this season.