Late Motor Action Owner Eric Rosen Laid to Rest
“Rosen was one of the most knowledgeable football adminstrators I have ever worked with. He knew the Fifa statues from cover to cover,” said Sambo.
HARARE — Former Motor Action Football Club owner Eric Rosen, who passed away last Sunday, was this afternoon laid to rest at Greendale Cemetery in Harare. Hundreds of Zimbabwean football fans, friends and family members bid farewell to Rosen, who did a lot in trying to uplift the standards of soccer in the country as well as the livelihoods of footballers. Former Premier Soccer League boss, Chris Sambo, who worked with Rosen both as PSL chief executive and later at Motor Action, said Rosen was a man who knew his football from cover to cover. “Rosen was one of the most knowledgeable football adminstrators I have ever worked with. He knew the Fifa statues from cover to cover,” said Sambo. Rosen was Motor Action’s sole financier between 1999 and 2013 leading them to the league title in 2010, and the NetOne Cup in 2009. In 2005, Motor Action won the Independence Trophy. Widely regarded as Rosen’s right hand man, Simion Jamanda, said the late Motor Action boss has left a legacy, adding that such football administrators are hard to come by. “He had a heart for the welfare of his players. Such administrators are hard to come by. He has left a legacy,” said Jamanda. Rosen is survived by his wife, Lizzy, three children, and four grand-children. Still in soccer news, Zimbabwe’s Warriors are back in the country after an unsuccessful one week at the 2016 Africa Nations Championships but nobody took notice of their return. Their arrival was barely noticed after a disappointing show at the Nations Championships where they finished bottom of the table with only one point after three games. The first group of the Warriors arrived in Harare yesterday while the remaining pack reached their destination this afternoon, and were upon arrival immediately whisked away to their hotel However, that was a none event as football fans were nowhere in sight as they chose to stay at home unlike last time when they converged at the Harare International Airport after the team finished fourth in the tournament. Football follower Patrick Mombeshora said there was no need to go to the airport as the Warriors had disappointed the nation. “People are very disappointed by the way these Warriors played in their group. They are not happy at all,” said Mombeshora. Former Caps United Supporters Club secretary general, Kingstone Marange, said there is no need to be excited as the Warriors’ results speak for themselves. “The results are what we want. The way they played in Rwanda and the results. People are not happy with what happened,” said Marange. A member of the Warriors Fan Club, Bevan Gonese, suggested that the coaches should do away with the whole team and scout for new talent from the lower divisions. Sambo admitted that Zimbabwe did not perform well but said the reason for that was because the team did not prepare well. “This is our worst performance as far as Chan is concerned. But, however, I do not believe we adequately prepared for Chan. We need adequate adequate preparations. I should emphasize,” said Sambo. With the African Nations Championships now gone, the Warriors will now focus their attention on the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where they are in the same group with Guinea, Malawi, and Swaziland.