The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
THE history of Zimbabwean football would be incomplete without the mention of lower divisions and amateur leagues.
They were the purveyors of great talent. They gave budding stars a platform to gain game time for later development at bigger clubs who included Bulawayo Rovers, Salisbury Callies, City Pirates, Tornados, Chibuku Shumba, Dynamos, Mashonaland United, City Pirates, Matabeleland Highlanders, Eastern Brothers, Mhangura, Hwange, Gweru United, Gaza United, Mutambara Brothers and Black Aces.
Playing in the amateur ranks for clubs with a religious following allowed players to grow as footballers and personalities. This prepared them for life for the big stage which by then was limited to tournaments such as the Osborne Trophy and others later introduced like the Townshend and Butcher Trophy.
Charles Chunda, a former Railstars junior who played with Patrick Ncube and Saints legend Jimmy Phiri, said junior football and amateur leagues were the foundation of Bulawayo football. He said pride to win matches for one’s community was the driving force.
Football and all sport including singing and drama were part of everyday life then. Very few youths he said would find time for vice as youth clubs provided by the local authority kept them occupied away from school and home with responsible leaders.
Chunda said the set up was good in that kids played football informally at clubs, streets and parks until they were identified as having potential or ripe for development.
“We played so much football among ourselves so much that we eventually became good players. The set up provided for those who were extra good to simple walk into teams while strugglers would labour to eventually become better stars.
“We played for the love of the game, passion was a key word to us. Other than the clubs there were junior development programmes, lower division clubs up to Division Five with Bafa having a Premier Division, Division One and Two. This meant that there was a higher figure of teenagers and those in their early 20s playing competitive football,” said Chunda.
He becried the number of games of football played by developing players.
“Less football is played by the boys nowadays. Back in the late 1960s and 1970s we played more football. Just the idea of being out on the field for hours and then going to watch big name players at training or at matches made you want to emulate them,” said Chunda who played Division One football for Black Horrors and Red Seal.
Chunda said the Division One teams had so much talent that was even better than some Premiership clubs today.
“At one time while I was with Red Seal we had Simon Ncube and David Phiri later to play for Highlanders and several other youngsters who were good enough for the Premiership. It was not just Red Seal Rovers, there were clubs like Archer, Monarch and Merlin where clubs sent their juniors to gain game time and the junior and lower division leagues were vibrant,” said Chunda.
The future of the game Chunda said lay in juniors and a very vibrant lower division set up. He said amateur football should take its place ahead of social football and challenged active players to dream big and go to the organised leagues with a view of turning professional some day.
A fortnight ago Sunday News visited Hwange and met a number of former stars. Old Ground or Old Stadium was full to the rafters as Division One sides ZRP Hwange and Highlanders90 clashed.
There were over 2 000 people. The venue was once home to great local clubs Rufaro Rovers, Iwisa and Marathon.
Matches pitting these clubs and those from other suburbs were often sold out in the literal sense with fans travelling as long as 10km to watch great games.
There was abundant talent on display with Rufaro Rovers, Black Aces (Raylton), Brazil, Kabwe Warriors, Raith Rovers, Giant Killers, Wankie Town, Erietta, Ozondiwa, Zvamaireva and Zulu Royals the backbone of the Hwange team that played in the National Rhodesia Football League and later on the Super League.
Almindo Nyoni one of the best juniors in Hwange in the 1980s who went on to play for Hwange in the Super League bemoaned the death of the Hwange amateur league.
“This is where all the talent that took Hwange to the top came from. Every village had active teams and youths. We were nurtured from primary school where a vibrant league existed resulting in a cup final before the Hwange Colliery general manager and other senior staffers. It was quite a great day to play at that level.
“As we grew up we were consumed by local secondary schools and clubs. As age mates we grew up from one group to the next monitored by a functional development system that had the best captured by Hwange.
“Later bloomers had an opportunity to develop through the local league where games were played week in, week out.
At the end of the year we even had Select teams featuring Hwange players where some village boys would still the show and be invited by the likes of Jack Meagher, James Mwape Sakala and later on Paul Moyo to train with the town’s flag bearer side,” said Nyoni.
He emphasised that the local league that was known as Wafa (Hwange Amateur Football Association) needed to be revived to cater for more juniors from the town. It also turned out to be a platform for entertainment keeping the community united around the beautiful game.
Nyoni went to Sir Humphrey Gibbs Primary School where he played with Isaac Tshuma, London Khumalo and Chabuka Mwale all of whom made an impact at Hwange FC and Zesa Hwange. Others like John Malani, Sawu Mathe, Shelembe and Abbut Tembo become local league heroes.
He was at a Hwange Secondary School in 1983 where competition for places was stiff. The school team had George Singongi, Venancio Ncube, Mebelo Njekwa and Sailot Kaunda.
“It was a competitive setup where from Grade Three playing for school juniors right up to secondary school level, competition for places was fierce. There was good competition from the other schools too with players who went on to play both Division One and Premiership football,” said the former Hwange Iwisa player.
Nyoni localised competitions sponsored by Grinaker Chibuku Cup and Osborne Cup had seen champion players being groomed.
“Teams like SS Rovers, Pirates from Dete and others from Jotsholo played against Hwange teams.
Notables that Nyoni went on to play with at Hwange are Anthony Nakamba, Andrew Banda, Chingumbe Masuku who he was with at Sir Humphrey Gibbs, Lowani Nyathi, Venancio Ncube, Dick Banda but was forced to leave the club to Zesa Hwange in 1994 as he never clicked with Jones Chilengi who was Hwange coach having taken over from Paul Moyo.
His notable achievement was being part of the Hwange side that won the Castle Cup beating Cranborne Bullets in the Cup final to make it three for Chipangano.
“It was a team with mostly locally-bred stars drawn from guys who had played schools football and graduated to Hwange. The local league if revived can see Hwange getting to be a very competitive side. There is a lot of talent in and around Hwange the 1970s team proved it.
“Look at the 1991 team that later won the Castle Cup it had mostly locals Juma Chitonje, Charles Nsomba, Obvious Chuma, Nakamba, Andrew Banda, Chingumbe Masuku, while Luke Masomere, Dumisani Mafikeni, Sikhumbuzo Mabhena and Johannes Tshuma came to bolster the side,’’ said Nyoni who grew up admiring local league legends Richard Shawa and David Khumalo.
At the dawn of Independence in 1980, Hwange possessed so much talent drawn from its local league.
At that time Lucky Mwanza nicknamed Lucky Rufaro was already a cult hero.
With an afro, fierce presence in the box with a traditional necklace around his neck, Mwanza was a free-scoring machine for top Hwange side Rufaro. Hwange FC coaches wanted him to be part of the side but due to work commitments he could not join the team.
It was at the time Skeva Phiri and Barton Mwalukuka were blowing hot with Machona Sibanda, David Phiri, Francis Mwinga, Duli Ncube and David Zulu the town’s top young midfielders.
Mwanza’s partnership with former Marist Brothers and Mosi Oa Tunya High Schools English teacher was top drawer material.
He may not have realised his full potential, but Mwanza got his turn to shine for Hwange during their 1983-84 seasons with Venancio, David Phiri (Kabwe), Benson Soko, Isaac Phiri, Kakoma Kayonga, Philemon Nyathi, Austin Ncube and Weekly Mwale.
“ I don’t doubt that I had the talent and goalpoaching exploits that had me scoring in almost every match, but the challenge I worked at the company’s Hwange Hospital as a laboratory technician where my services were in demand ahead of recreational football,” said Mwanza.
He alluded to sentiments expressed by Chunda and Nyoni that local amateur leagues were key to reviving football fortunes for Bulawayo and Hwange clubs.
“Local amateur league football was big business. It has to be revived to take care of local talent, travelling to the provincial Division Two League is quite expensive.
“Look at this line up Posani Sibanda, Benson Soko, David Zulu, David Khumalo, Amos Rendo, Gideon Nyathi, Isaac Phiri, Dick Banda, Barton Mwalukuka, Rodrick Simwanza and Skeva Phiri this was a team of locals, groomed from the local league. It was a reservoir of great talent,” said the former clinical finisher who retired at the age of 35 then a regular goalscorer for Rusupuko in the Division Two League.
For most of his career he averaged 35 goals per season.
Mwanza believes reviving Wafa may help Hwange’s fortunes especially now when the company is crippled and struggling to buy players.
He joined his Hwange compatriot Nyoni in calling for a Hwange junior football development league.
He said the three development projects in the town were not enough.
Almost every urban centre in Zimbabwe at one time boasted an amateur league.
