The Sunday News
Fungai Muderere, Sports Reporter
RALPH Matema is scoring and, for once, his recent number of goals at Highlanders has come as music to the ears of coach Erol Akbay and the entire Bosso family.
Banolila, as Matema (34) is affectionately known to the multitude of Bosso fans has re-discovered his lethal boots and he says it’s a development that has made him feel on top of the world.
“It is always good to score for your team. I’m happy that of late I have been doing well. However, this is all about team effort,” said the soft spoken forward who was on target recently as Bosso beat Border Strikers, Dynamos and Mutare City, all conquered by 2-1 score lines.
“I’m just doing my job and I must say I work hard at training and the youngsters in the team have upped their game. The likes of King (Nadolo), Prince Dube and Silla (Adrian) are great promising players who have the team at heart. With this kind of spirit the club will achieve a lot soon.”
Asked on Highlanders’ possibilities of clinching both the championship and the Chibuku Super Cup, Matema said he does not want to talk about that, choosing to do the talking on the pitch. Bosso last won the championship in 2006 under the mentorship of now Bantu Rovers president Methembe Ndlovu and Matema was part of that group.
At times the left-footed striker has struggled with injuries, a development that saw him fail to live up to expectations at South Africa’s Absa Premiership giants Orlando Pirates. While at the Buccaneers’ camp, injuries restricted Banolila more to life on the sidelines than within the lines.
“It was a great honour for me to play for a big team like Pirates and it was always nice to play before passionate fans like Pirates supporters. My main ambition was to make a big contribution for the success of the team but unfortunately a hamstring injury got the better part of me,” said the Bosso forward.
The former Kambuzuma United forward went to South Africa with an excellent reputation after winning the Zimbabwean Premier League Top Goal scorer award in 2006. Also known as Raru to his close associates, he was crowned top scorer of the unbranded Premier Soccer League after netting 19 times in the 2006 season. In 2007, he scored 10 goals in 11 games but left Highlanders to join Orlando Pirates for the 2007/2008 season.
After parting ways with Pirates, he went on to play for Witbank Spurs in Mzansi National First Division League where he left a mark courtesy of his typical poacher’s headers. At Spurs, Matema played alongside two fellow Zimbabweans — the Mbaiwa twins Patrick and Peter then forming a deadly combination with his striking partner Lungelo Yekiso.
He rejoined Highlanders in September last year, scored and created crucial goals for Bosso as they lifted themselves out of the relegation zone. At 34, Matema has undoubtedly proved that he is now a more mature and experienced player than when he first joined Bosso in 2004. He also reckons that as long as his legs can still carry him he will continue to fire goals home for the black and white army.
@FungaiMuderere
