Zimbabwe @43, yesteryear football greats remembered

Fungai Muderere

ZIMBABWE celebrates 43 years of Independence on 18 April and, while our football is in the wilderness owing Zifa’s suspension by FIFA, the feeling is that there is no need to deeply bury our heads in the sand for this great nation has churned out players that have made their mark locally and on the global stage.

Yes, we are a country whose closest to booking a place at the World Cup finals was in 1993, when Warriors came within 90 minutes of qualifying for the 1994 tournament in the United States, only to lose 1-3 to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Yaounde.

It was a case of so-near-yet-so-far for this football loving nation whom in its pre-independence era had fans enjoying the world’s most beautiful game when players from Wankie, Zimbabwe Saints, RioTinto, CAPS United, Black Aces, Dynamos and Highlanders matched each other pound for pound.

These are memories that  renowned football commentator Charles Mabika vividly recalls with so much amusement.

“I am glad to say we are a country that boasted of natural football talent from the pre-independence era up to the mid-1990s (pre-independence era). Players matched each other man for man as they were more talented players to talk about. There was no dominance to talk about from either Dynamos, Black Aces, Rio Tinto or Zimbabwe Saints. The result of any given match was not a foregone conclusion. Competition would be fierce,” said Mabika citing the names of legendary Moses Chunga, the late George Shaya, Titus Majola, Gift Mupariwa, Douglas “British” Mloyi, Andrew Kadengu, Gibson Homela, Joel “Jubilee” Shambo, Madinda “Khathazile” Ndlovu among others as some of the yesteryear greats that ushered the country into Independence  in a jovial mood courtesy of their breathtaking exploits in the field of play.

These were reportedly individually gifted players, a star-studded rare breed that could conjure out anything for the benefit of their clubs,  hordes of followers let alone the country’s football neutrals in an era where a club’s popularity was not measured by its number of fans.

Mabika said courtesy of the quality football menus that were dished out in the heydays, every one had a fair backing up to a time when Highlanders, Dynamos and CAPS United assumed the title of Big Three.

However, post-independence, it seems the country’s football talent conveyor belt did not take a knock, as Mabika glowingly speaks of the late 1990s production that saw ex-Zimbabwe Saints and AmaZulu midfield dynamo Ronald “Gidiza” Sibanda, Gift Lunga (snr), the late Benjamin Nkonjera, Stewart Murisa and Alois Bunjira to mention but a few explode on the scene.

He, however, decried the level of incompetence and maladministration that began to punctuate operations of Zifa in that period.

“From the late 1990s up to the turn of the new millennium, I am happy to say we continued to watch some great football. But it is sad that almost two decades now we have been found wanting at national level, that is, Zifa. So many scandals and no wonder our suspension by Fifa. It should have never come to that. The Premier Soccer League has tried its best to weather the storm at a time when Zifa has been found wanting. However, PSL should do more for the benefit of their brand,” said the celebrated football pundit.