The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
OWNING a house is everyone’s dream.
And when one is a prominent football player, turning out for a high profile club, and more so that such a player is adored by thousands of fans across the country, then expectations are that such should own a modest house of their own.
Admittedly a number of local soccer players own houses either bought for them by football clubs as a way of enticing them, or managed to acquire their places of residence through signing on fees.
Ronald Sibanda, Njabulo Ncube, Tendai Ngulube, Zephania Ngodzo and his younger brother Joel are among the local stars who boast of their own houses. For others they have to endure the unenviable life of a lodger, scenarios that usually do not befit their status as professional footballers.
One such high profile player is none other than Highlanders man-of-the moment Knox “Mjomani” Mutizwa, who has now made owning his own house his biggest goal.
In fact, he has given himself until January next year to acquire his own property that can accommodate his mother and three siblings.
Mutizwa, whose contract with the fallen Bulawayo giants runs out at the end of this year, has made it clear that he is tired of being a lodger and is open to talks with any club that can make his dream of owning a place of his own come true.
What pains Mutizwa, who resides in Bulawayo’s high-density suburb of Pelandaba is the fact that foreign-based players Kudakwashe Mahachi as well as Marvellous Nakamba, boys he grew up and played with in the Highlanders juniors’ set-up, own cars and houses.
“We have been renting with my mother all our lives. Right now we are renting a four-roomed house in Pelandaba. It’s not nice every time when Mahachi and Nakamba, the guys I played with in the Highlanders juniors come home, they pick me up in their nice cars and take me to their houses. I will sign for a club that will enable me to buy my own house. By January next year I want to have my own house,’’ vowed Mutizwa.
However, he was quick to declare his love for Highlanders, a club that groomed him into the player that he is today and pointed out that those running the oldest football club in the country know what to do to make sure he recommits to the great institution.
Away from football, Mutizwa, especially during this time of the year enjoys going swimming with his friends, Highlanders teammate Eric “Tsiba” Mudzingwa and national team colleague Lawrence Mhlanga. He reveals that Mudzingwa is actually a great swimmer which means that had he not chosen the most followed sport in the country, he could be representing the country at international events in swimming.
“When I am not playing football I love relaxing by going swimming with my friends Eric and Lawrence. Actually Tsiba is a good swimmer,’’ Mutizwa said.
Besides being the leading goal scorer for Highlanders, Mutizwa is also the best play station player during Bosso camps, especially FIFA 15 with the only person who came close to challenging him being former striker Thomas Chideu.
Mutizwa, a father of a 14-month-old baby girl Anisa Leanne does not want to talk much about his marital status save for the fact that he is a family man and only circumstances are preventing him from staying with his partner Naome Mayebe, something that he says he is working on.
Born 12 October 1993 at Pelandaba Clinic, Mutizwa was raised by his mother Esnathi Phiri and only saw his now late father once. He spent most of his childhood in Old Lobengula where he attended Nyamande Primary School and then moved across the road to Pelandaba. Sikhulile High School was where Mutizwa decided to embrace a career in football.
He attributes failing his Ordinary level examinations where he only passed three subjects in 2009, History, Ndebele and Integrated Science, to his passion for football.
Mutizwa’s club career started off at the now defunct Njube Sundowns where he turned out for the club at Under-13 and Under-15 with Nakamba. The two moved to Highlanders at Under-17 level where they hooked up with the likes of Mahachi, Mhlanga, the Moyo twins Kelvin and Elvis.
Mutizwa was always a striker which explains why he did not find it difficult to switch from midfield to play upfront when asked to do so by former Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu.
After impressing at Under-19 level where he says he scored 19 goals in 2010, Mutizwa was promoted into the first team in 2011. The previous season he had been asked by then Highlanders mentor Mohamed Fathi to train with the first team at the age of 17.
In 2011, under Mkhuphali Masuku, Mutizwa made his debut in a 2-0 triumph over Zimbabwe Saints, coming in as a substitute for Louis Matawu. Some of the youngsters he was promoted with from the Ali “Baba” Dube coached juniors were Arnold Ndiweni, Ryan Mabhena, Mgcini Sibanda and Bobby Nkomo. At the end of the 2011 season, Mutizwa was voted as the most promising player at Highlanders.
Having used the number 11 jersey for most of his juniors career, Mutizwa shifted to number 18 when he graduated into the senior team. He was so inspired by former Highlanders midfielder Johannes Ngodzo who used to wear that number.
Mutizwa is grateful to former Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu who stuck with him over the years, most importantly last season. At the beginning of last year, Mutizwa was one of the players Bosso wanted to offload after he was deemed excess baggage.
The news affected him a lot, and he missed a training session. It took a call from Kaindu for him to make the memorable return. He reveals that Bantu Rovers founder Methembe Ndlovu was ready to pounce on him once Highlanders let him go.
He repaid the faith shown in him by Kaindu, scoring his first goal in first team colours in a 4-1 rout of Shabanie Mine at Barbourfields Stadium in April last year.
His goal scoring abilities have stolen the limelight over the months finding the target 10 times which saw him becoming a joint top goal scorer with Chicken Inn’s Edmore Chirambadare going into this weekend’s fixtures.
Since Mafu partnered him with Obadiah Tarumbwa, the two have been in unbelievable form, becoming the most feared striking combination in the country.
Mutizwa’s absence while at Africa Games allowed Chirambadare who had last scored in June against Chapungu to play catch-up.
As they say when the cat is away the mice come out to play, Chirambadare who was on eight goals, found the target against ZPC Kariba and Triangle to catch up on Mutizwa’s tally of 10 goals.
But this seems not to worry the Highlanders’ talisman.
“I know Chirambadare closed the gap but I am not under any pressure at all, I know I will score, there is no game where I will fail to score,’’ Mutizwa said.
For now, Mutizwa, who has been touted as a potential Soccer Star of the Year candidate is firmly focused on helping Highlanders finish in a respectable position while at the same time eyeing the Golden Boot award. He believes players such as his former Under-23 teammate Brian Muzondiwa of FC Platinum and Chirambadare are his biggest threats to both awards.
Raised as a Roman Catholic, although he enjoys an occasional drink with his friends, Mutizwa goes to Eagle Life Ministries.
Just like many soccer players who have flocked to the Blessing Chiza-led church, Mutizwa has received a prophecy that he will play in Europe at some stage in his career, something he believes will happen one day.
Despite all the fame of playing and scoring goals for one of the biggest clubs in the country, Mutizwa remains a humble character. He still gets his hair cut in the neighbourhood. When Sunday Leisure tracked him down, a vendor from the Pelandaba shops was so happy to show us where we could find him describing him as “our boy.”
He was at a local “barbershop” for a haircut, a few days after returning from representing Zimbabwe at the Africa Games in Congo-Brazzaville.
Clad in slops, an AU Agenda 2063 T-shirt and his Highlanders number 18 short, Mutizwa revealed that he occasionally assists youngsters from his neighbourhood with football shorts and old boots.
On how he got his nickname Mjomani, Mutizwa revealed that he was called by that name from a young age and he does not know where it came from.
His appeal to Highlanders supporters is to continue backing the team even though they have not played so well this season, so much that they find themselves fighting relegation.
“The Highlanders fans are free to approach me even in the streets to give me advice on where they think we are going wrong. I will stop and listen to them, they will find out I am a good boy. We will try our best to finish in a respectable position, I am sure we can finish at number four, it is possible,’’ Mutizwa said.
Whether Mutizwa stays with Highlanders next year or dumps the club, one thing for sure is that he has made his mark this season and has been one of the few positives at the once mighty juggernaut christened “ithimu yezwe lonke”.
