HARARE - Zimbabwean football followers are obviously delighted by national team striker Knowledge Musona’s decision to accept a call-up to the Warriors without any apology from the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa).

Three months ago Musona, rather unwisely and prematurely, announced that he was quitting international football after Zifa appeared to implicate him in match-fixing activities during the Warriors’ World Cup qualifier against Guinea and Mozambique in June.

While the Zimbabwe striker was justifiably angered by the way the matter was handled by Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze, threatening to quit the Warriors was not only shooting himself in the foot but was also akin to holding the nation at ransom. Footballers world over, take pride in representing their countries at the highest possible level.

However successful a player is at club level, he will always feel inadequate if he doesn’t enjoy much success at international level.

The example that comes to mind is that of Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs.

He is the most decorated player in English football history with 12 Premier League winner’s medals, four FA Cup medals, three League Cup medals and two Champions League medals.

Despite all this impressive success with Manchester United, Giggs has publicly expressed his regret for failing to replicate the same success on the international stage with Wales.

It was refreshing for Musona to acknowledge, through his lawyer, the importance he attaches to representing Zimbabwe.

We are hopeful that both the football mother body Zifa and Musona have come out of this sad chapter wiser.
For Musona, who is arguably Zimbabwe’s best player at the moment, it is important for him to jealously guard his reputation.

For Musona, ssociating with alleged “match-fixers” before they can conclusively prove their innocence is very reckless as this can unnecessarily endanger his professional standing in the game.

We also hope that Zifa has learnt some lessons from this unfortunate debacle.

Though there is evidence suggesting that Asian betting syndicates have been trying to re-establish contacts with alleged Zimbabwean match-fixing masterminds, the way Mashingaidze prematurely rushed to the media was amateurish.