Footballers Without 5 O-Levels Aren't "Madofo", Says Moses Chunga
Zimbabwean football legend Moses Chunga has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the Zimbabwe Football Association’s (ZIFA) new eligibility requirements for its chairperson.
One of the new rules is that candidates must have at least five Ordinary Level (O-Level) passes. Chunga, however, argued that footballers who fail to meet this academic benchmark should not be labelled as “madofo”—a derogatory Shona term meaning “dull” or “slow to understand.”
Rosemary Mugadza, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee (NC) member is quoted saying:
I was given a chance by my parents to go to school and they made sure that I have the five O Levels.
I’m a CAF instructor, where a certain level of education is required for you to participate in terms of imparting knowledge to the other fellow females.
It’s the right time for us former footballers to enrol into night schools to get the required academics that we ought to have.
Also, if you look at the current situation that we have, the current crop of players, there are scholarships that are offered for them.
ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa said:
5 O levels are for seeing someone’s ability to be able to read and write, understand numbers and communicate with our principles whether at CAF or FIFA.
That’s basically the reason for that 5 O-level qualification requirement. It’s not a major hurdle, it’s a basic stepping stone only to distinguish those who can’t read and write.
However, Chunga said some footballers and former footballers lack five O’Level passes not because they are “dull” or unintelligent, but because, during their teenage years, they faced the difficult choice between dedicating themselves to football or pursuing formal education.
He pointed out that many young players prioritised their athletic careers, often sacrificing their schooling in pursuit of professional football. He said (via Nehanda Radio):
5 0’Levels – why most footballers are without. The recent change in the ZIFA constitution which added 5 O’Levels as a requirement set the social media ablaze.
Some constructive comments and some which were labelling soccer players as “madofo.” Today I just want to let you in on the life of a footballer, where you will see why most of them do not have the 5.
Those who follow my posts know that I started playing football for Lytton Primary School B team when I was only around 8 years old.
From that age onwards football was all that mattered to me. I would spend most of my time training, and nurturing my talent.
A footballer trains their muscle between ages 6 and 18. Qualities like speed of thought, accuracy, endurance, resistance, strength and skill have to be mastered between 6 and 18. Fact.
By the time one is 18, they would have reached the end of growth. (Fact). So if one is to excel in football he has to spend most of his teenage years on the field of training.
Unfortunately, this is also the time when this same guy is needed in the classroom. In the end, he/she has to make a difficult decision, that of choosing football ahead of formal education.
Those who mix football with formal education and excel in both are the rare ones. In conclusion, let’s not be too quick to judge these footballers.
They spent hours and hours practising so that you may be entertained. Please let’s not humiliate them.
Another controversial requirement for eligibility to become ZIFA president is that candidates must have been resident in Zimbabwe for at least two years prior to the election.
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