Known all over Zimbabwe and much of Africa for stopping rival teams from scoring, the Amazulu football (soccer) team have themselves been stopped in their tracks. The team's equally well-known policy of not playing on Saturdays -- the Bible Sabbath for te
Known all over Zimbabwe and much of Africa for stopping rival teams from scoring, the Amazulu football (soccer) team have themselves been stopped in their tracks. The team’s equally well-known policy of not playing on Saturdays—the Bible Sabbath for team owner Delma Lupepe—last Friday led to the team’s ouster from Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League (PSL).
As a Seventh-day Adventist, Lupepe observes Saturday as the Sabbath, a day he spends in worship and fellowship, avoiding “common” work, as the Bible commands.
But a PSL disciplinary committee has ruled that the team be suspended indefinitely from the league for a stance that has been part of Amazulu policy for 10 years.
“We will not play on the Sabbath because it is contrary to the will of God,” Lupepe told ANN in a phone interview Nov. 7. “We can’t change our position or compromise because we believe the Bible is valid and we believe in the Ten Commandments. We are prepared to leave the league permanently if necessary.”
The dismissal came about after Amazulu refused to play the Motor Action team a couple weeks ago in a game scheduled for a Saturday. PSL cancelled the game, then sent out a summons for Amazulu to appear at a disciplinary hearing claiming the team “failed to fulfill a fixture” of being in the league, Felix Matsika, the club manager for the Amazulu told ANN.
“We have appealed [this expulsion] to the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZiFA). We should get a response in 24 hours,” he said.
Matsika remembers facing the same issue last year with Motor Action. When Amazulu refused to play on Saturday, PSL fined Amazulu. The team appealed the fine to ZiFA and received a ruling in their favor.
According to the BBC report on Nov. 5, part of PSL’s judgment against the Amazulus said: “Amazulu’s conduct threatens the survival of the league in many ways. It brings chaos. It reduces the chances of attracting sponsorship.”
Some sports fans who read about the story on the BBC Web site agreed with the PSL.
“It was a mistake on the part of the PSL to entertain Amazulu’s conduct in the first place. No team is special in the league, so Amazulu should not expect special treatment,” said Charles Mazarura from Germany.
“If Amazulu’s owners are devout Christians as they claim to be, they should not have invested in football in the first place because football is played at the weekend, and that includes Saturdays. I hope there will be a workable solution to this problem for the sake of the players and their families,” said Nkosinathi Baleni, from Zimbabwe.
But others applauded the team’s firm stance. “I wholeheartedly agree with Amazulu. If the choice is between football and God’s law, then God’s law should prevail,” said Elvin Walemba from the United Kingdom.
Baraka Muganda, director of Youth Ministries for the Adventist world church, compared the Amazulu to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Biblical trio who refused to bow down and worship another god even though they were threatened with being thrown into a furnace. He says he hopes young people will follow the example of sticking to their beliefs like the Amazulu.
“We teach young people to keep the principles of the Bible ... to stand up for God even though they may risk their popularity,” he said.
Team manager Matsika said he does not think it is unfair for the team to ask others to reschedule games.
“Most teams do not have a valid reason for not rescheduling. But we on the other hand cannot play on this one day,” Matsika explained. He added that most teams have not had a problem rescheduling matches.
Lupepe remembers another situation where they had to choose between God and football. In February of 2004 the Amazulu prepared to face the Petro Atlético team from Angola for the 2004 African Champions match. The Angola team changed dates at the last minute, demanding a Saturday game.
Television sets in Zimbabwe, Angola, across Africa and other parts of the world were busy preparing viewers for the ultimate battle between the Amazulus and Petro Atlético.
“All roads are leading to the City Stadium here in Luanda. Angola fans are singing and chanting all over the city,” Matsika told Lupepe over the phone.
“Please Matsika, tell the match commissioner that Amazulu does not kick the ball on Sabbath,’” Lupepe said.
Lupepe was not worried about repercussions. But he was also very sure the Angolans had broken one of the Confederations of African Football rules, which requires the home team to advise the visiting team of the venue and kickoff time 10 days prior to the match. They had only found out about the time of the match that very day. The match was rescheduled.
“We were promoted to professional status in 1997,” Matsika told ANN. “We made it clear before we joined the professional league that we would not play on Sabbaths. We were still accepted because we are a good team.” They had been the only Sabbath-keeping club in Zimbabwe since they were first formed as an amateur team in 1994, and they communicated their stance on the Sabbath to the PSL, Zimbabwe Football Association, the Confederations of African Football and to all local clubs.
Amazulu won their first league championship in 2003. In 1999, they won the Independence Trophy; in 2001, the Madison Trophy; and in 2004 they won the OK Grand Challenge. They also represented Zimbabwe in the African Champion’s Cup in 2004 as a part of the national team, Zimbabwe Warriors. Matsika credits the team’s success to God and to their Sabbath-keeping.
“The constitution of Zimbabwe ... contains religious liberty as one of the fundamental rights of every citizen. Our constitution gave me the courage to form Amazulu,” Lupepe said. “What touches my heart most is that the players—despite being non-Adventists—enjoy playing for Amazulu. I don’t remember losing any player to any club because of the Sabbath issue.”
He added that some have joined the team because they are Adventists. The team has three Adventist players.
“I’ve always thought that Adventists have a place in the world of sports. Every Sabbath I see in the pews potential gold medalists,” Lupepe said. “God is no stranger on the football pitch. In sport, the average sportsperson seeks a higher power when faced with an insurmountable challenge ... God is already popular among sports lovers.”
“While Amazulu is involved in competitive sport, its purpose for existence is higher than that,” Lupepe continued. “It is a lighthouse that’s pointing sports lovers back to God.”
Matsika told ANN that players are “100 percent supportive” and will return to training tomorrow.