The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
HIGHLANDERS FC former defence supremo Douglas “British” Mloyi remains one of the club’s most popular and respected footballers.
His loyalty and long service in a career which saw him assume legendary status, has seen him stay in an exclusive club of one-team stars who achieved a lot in the game.
Mloyi’s trophy cabinet is one to envy though there is one major piece of silverware never to make its way to his Mpopoma house which he was assisted to purchase by Highlanders. This was in recognition of his loyalty at a team when the club’s top stars left to form Olympics at the end of 1976.
Mloyi was among the few players to remain with Bosso and went with the club to campaign in the South Zone Soccer League against several unheralded clubs.
This week, your favourite weekly paper’s correspondent, Lovemore Dube (LD) talks to Douglas Mloyi (DM) about the 1976 split and other football issues.
LD: Who is Douglas Mloyi?
DM: I was born Douglas Mloyi on 17 July 1955 here in Bulawayo as the last born in a family of eight to a football loving dad who was so supportive. Only my elder brother Tennyson and I played soccer.
LD: Where did you grow up and which schools did you attend?
DM: I attended Nkulumane Primary School and Magwegwe Secondary School here in Bulawayo and started playing junior football from Under-14 at Highlanders.
LD: So you actually came through the structures to the first team, who was your first coach?
DM: We were coached by Washie “Come To Washie” Mpofu and among some of the notable guys we had were Willie Luphahla, Builder Nyaruwata and Ephraim “Kid” Moloi.
LD: When did your lucky break into the first team come and I suppose with the stars of that time it was not so easy given that the team had won the Chibuku Trophy and the regional league in 1973?
DM: I broke into the first team in 1974. I had been promoted into the reserve side directly from the Under-18s. After the Chibuku Trophy conquest season, Boet Van Ays and James Nxumalo retired so Silas Ndlovu our then manager promoted me to the first team.
LD: Who were some of the defenders you had to compete with for a starting place?
DM: Eish there was Peter Zimuto, Chutika Tembo, Billy Sibanda, Nehemiah Dube and Lawrence Phiri. The competition was tough but I had gained lots of exposure through the reserve league.
LD: Reserve League, was it anything to talk about?
DM: Oh, during those days every team had a reserve team and we would curtain raise before the big game.
Everywhere we went before the first team would be the reserves, it exposed budding talent while recuperating players from the first team got a good run as well.
LD: Which team did you play on your debut and what position? What were the words coach Silas Ndlovu said to you before you entered the field?
DM: We played Gweru United at Barbourfields Stadium some time in 1974. We beat them 7-0 and I scored on my debut. Before I came on, Silas said he was happy with the progress I had made. “Sonny, you have worked so hard, you deserve it. I see you are a tough tackler, go in there and play your usual game.” The senior players were so encouraging too, I was at right back, Peter Zimuto at leftback, Chutika Tembo and Lawrence Phiri at the centre. They encouraged me to take it easy.
LD: Who were among the Gweru United players of the day?
DM: If my memory serves me right Ashton Mhlanga and Kisdo Matsika were part of it. I was happy to have won the Southern Region League title at the end of the season and we progressed to the later stages of some tournaments.
That Highlanders team was great.
LD: Any heartbreaks that season?
DM: We were beaten in the national league play-offs. I am not sure whether it was Metal Box or Salisbury Callies.
LD: How was the league and who were the top strikers then?
DM: Competition was stiff and we had fierce strikers to contend with who included David George, Victor Mapanda, Isaac Lungu, Chita Antonio, Nathaniel Maduku, Chris Yoyo and Twyman Ncube. We continued to dominate the region the following year only to fall at the last hurdle — the national title. We also toured South Africa in 1975 where we played against the likes of Jomo Sono, Ryder Mofokeng, Patson Banda, Kaizer Motaung, Computer Ramola and Shakes Mashaba the current Bafana coach. We clashed with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
LD: What made the team so dominant?
DM: We played with passion. Once you donned the Highlanders jersey you knew what it meant and that drove us to do so well. Sadly, competition in our region was not so good. Some of us worked while others were full-time footballers relying on earnings from the game.
I feel today’s crop of players lack the passion we had.
LD: 1976 saw the introduction of a National League.
DM: We were so excited about that development which meant we would compete with the best nationally. Teams from the North appeared to have a low opinion about us because they had dominated the scene for a while, we wanted to prove we were up to the task.
LD: How was the going in that league?
DM: It was quite competitive coming up with fiery stars like from our region and up North.
LD: You were on the verge of winning the league title in 1976, leading Dynamos by a point going into the last match at Barbourfields Stadium. Gosh, things took a nasty turn on the last fixture of the season . . .
DM: We were devastated that the league was stolen from us. We had worked hard. It rained the whole week and Rhodesia National Football Football League’s boss John Madzima was advised that Barbourfields was waterlogged.
There was no drainage then.
On Sunday we did not go to Barbourfields but surprisingly Madzima came with Dynamos on Sunday and we were walked over and pipped to the title by a solitary point. It denied us our first title and consequences thereafter hit hard on Highlanders.
LD: Then the Olympics saga, I hear Highlanders were not paying well then and this led to some discord among some of the players leading to others leaving. You were among those who stayed behind, what happened?
DM: Then football was a pastime. Most of us from Bulawayo had jobs but those from outside did not. We were not happy as players about remuneration. For instance in one cup game we knocked Dynamos out but their players still got more than us the victors. We held meetings as players and I attended two.
We were paid to leave Highlanders, I received money after the first meeting but as to who was behind that I have never known to this date. I could not leave Highlanders as my father who supported Bosso would not have had any of that as long as I was still his son. So my brother and I stayed at Highlanders while some of our players left to form Olympics as a result of poor remuneration. I am not privy to other reasons why certain players left other than not being happy with the money.
As a young player, I was the youngest then, I was really hurt to lose out on the league.
LD: Another notable feature about 1976 was the 4-0 drubbing by Zimbabwe Saints inspired by Gibson Homela and the late William Sibanda and Max Tshuma, what went wrong in the Chibuku Trophy final played at Rufaro Stadium?
DM: While no team was at home the decision to have Bulawayo teams play in Harare riled us. About the loss, to some extent news that Saints were flying Homela for the match also upset our plans, psychologically having someone coming from Europe created some sense of inferiority in us and we never got to the party. Saints were the better side in all respects and used their chances.
LD: So who stayed for the South Zone Soccer League?
DM: My brother Tennyson, Lawrence Phiri, Majuta Mpofu, Willie Luphahla, Builder Nyaruwata, Josiah Nxumalo and Tymon Mabaleka. We had to get more players to bolster our side in the weak league we won in 1977. The loss of players affected us, we could have gone on to dominate the scene.
LD: If my memory serves me right you won some honours in that league playing with Minnows . . .
DM: Yes, we won the league in 1977, I was part of the South Zone Select with brothers Neil and Allan Boonzaier, Tymon Mabaleka, Majuta Mpofu, Lawrence Phiri, Harry Chitsa, Thomas Chipembere, Danny Mahaso, Vicent Levin, Lemmy Mnenekwa, Philemon Muriyengwe, Onias Musana and Mactavish Dube. I also appeared on the South Zone Soccer League calendar to add to the Pelandaba, National Foods and Jairos Jiri Fete titles.
LD: Things appear to have happened the positive way after Independence for you, you were capped and won several tournaments, were you happy with your achievements on the return to the national scene?
DM: Oh yes, I won the 1980 Chibuku Trophy, 4-0 over Rio Tinto, Heroes Trophy 3-2 over Dynamos and my first cap in 1981 against Zambia. I partnered Sunday Chidzambwa before going to win several others. I won many trophies with Highlanders from 1984 to 1987 playing for one of the best ever assembled Highlanders sides teeming with talent in Mercedes Sibanda, Tito Paketh, Madinda Ndlovu, Willard Khumalo, Netsai Moyo, Peter Nkomo, Alexander Maseko and Dumisani Nyoni. It was not rosy all the way, we struggled when the young boys were first introduced. We were a compact unit playing for each other, the fans and our coaches and I eventually retired at 32 in 1987 content with what I had achieved in the game.
LD: What did you do after hanging your boots after such a colourful career?
DM: I coached How Mine, Bulawayo Bottlers and other clubs and at one time I was Highlanders manager.
LD: We are seeing few players in club administration and even at Zifa level, what’s the challenge?
MD: It appears doors may stay shut for former players as elections now require money for one to occupy office. In the past the system was simple and thorough with leaders coming in the midst of the team’s members. Even at Zifa there was reward by merit for those who were deserving.
LD: Thanks British for your time.
DM: You are welcome.
