Norman Mapeza has bemoaned the diminishing standards of local football and bled club owners for steering the rot.

The FC Platinum coach made the claims after watching his youthful side dispatch Bulawayo City 2-0 in a league match at the weekend.

“I have to be honest, the quality of football has gone down massively,” he was quoted as saying by NewsDay.

“Of course, there are teams that have been winning, but their performances … most teams in the league can’t play three, four or five passes. It’s just two passes, ball forward, two touches and then ball forward.”

Mapeza believes the rot is being caused by club owners who demand immediate results at the expense of quality.

“Maybe the problem is with us coaches as well. Maybe we are too much oriented with the results. Our mentality is much about the results. Maybe club bosses are also demanding results, but do we have an identity as a nation? What type of football do we play in Zimbabwe?”