The Sunday News
“WHICH have been the best attacking partnerships in the local football scene?”
This question was thrown at me and I immediately said I would dedicate the next two instalments to the subject and hopefully get feedback from readers, former players and coaches.
Goals have become everyone’s worry as reaching two figure digits has become a big challenge. Formations in use nowadays, unlike the 4-2-4 and 4-3-3 of old where wing play was emphasised and often orchestrated most of the goals, have seen them dry and fans enduring boring trips back home. It is that moment of sheer brilliance, where a player leaves an opponent sprawling on the turf and the defender huffing and puffing that fans long for. It is well struck goals and plenty of them that fans want to see as a reward for their hard earned cash.
Only a select group of strikers Zenzo Moyo, Moses Chunga, Ernest Kamba, Paul Tsumbe and Peter Nyama are known to have scored more than 40 league and cup goals in one season. But these could not have achieved that feat by themselves, they had striking partners and creativity all around them to support them to stardom.
Gibson Homela, a Zimbabwe soccer legend and a prolific striker at some stage before switching to defence in a two decade long career, said real striking partnerships had seemingly died after Adam Ndlovu left for Europe. He said teams had become too defensive in their approach.
He said he had admired Makwinji Soma’s combination with Peter and Adam Ndlovu at Highlanders.
His best attacking partnerships were Caps United’s Friday Phiri, Shaky Tauro who got good support in creativity and goals from Stanley Ndunduma, Joel Shambo and Stix M’tizwa, Dynamos’ Ernest Kamba, George Shaya and one Reeds whom he described as a prolific scorer, Zimbabwe Saints’ Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo and Onias Musana and Tornados’ which was spearheaded by Peter Nyama and Topsy Robertson. He has praises for the Callies’ which had Billy Sharman and Robertson at some stage.
Homela said he could not leave out the Mhangura strike force which was built around Alex Masanjala and at one time he was partnered by Itai Chieza.
At Highlanders Homela said Chieza was outstanding in an attack which featured Josiah Nxumalo, Tymon Mabaleka and Isaac Mafaro. At Hwange he said one Agayi who left Hwange soon after the 1972 Kamandama Disaster and Chris Yoyo had given Colliery fans reason to celebrate.
At his beloved Saints Homela said he had found Joseph Machingura and George Ayibu had been quite prolific.
Former Hwange trialist and son of Black Horrors and Plumtree legend Lemmy Mnenekwa, Eddy concurred with Homela’s assertion that goals had dried down. He said the all-out approach not to concede and lose games had seen more personnel deployed in defence.
He decried the absence from today’s game of reputable scorers whose exploits compelled fans to trickle into stadia in anticipation of a big goal haul.
His best partnerships were Boy Ndlovu, Rahman Gumbo and Victor “Bhejani” Moonsammy (Eagles), Antony “Bongo” Sibanda and Godfrey Tamirepi of Hwange, Saints’ Ayibu, Henry Mckop and Agent Sawu, Sundowns’ Sageby Sandaka and Norman Komani, Luke Jukulile-Petros and Patrick Mandizha at Lancashire Steel, Asani Juma and Thomas Makwasha at Shabanie and the Caps United combination of Alois Bunjira and Stewart Murisa.
Eddy said Murisa had also turned back the hands of the clock with another mouth watering telepathic understanding of each other with Adam Ndlovu at Highlanders.
“Madinda Ndlovu and Morgan Phiri terrorising defenders and setting up Bigboy Ndlovu, later Madinda and Tanny Banda making stars out of Nhamo Shambira, Dumisani Ngulube, Amini Soma-Phiri and Tobias Mudyambanje, was one of the best. We also saw Adam and Peter combining well with combative Makwinji to win matches for Highlanders supported by Rahman Gumbo,” said Eddy.
At Arcadia United he said he had been impressed by Bethal Salis and George Rollo who ensured a good goals’ harvest and value for the dollar then. Eddy added that Ndunduma, Mafaro, Tauro, Phiri and M’tizwa were goalkeepers and defenders’ biggest nightmare, Black Horrors’ Onias Musana and Lemmy Mnenekwa, DeMbare’s Shaya, Edward Katsvere and David George were good.
Eddy said he would be doing the game a lot of injustice if he left out Thabani Masawi and Zenzo Moyo, Majuta Mpofu and Mark Watson.
“Watson and Moyo were finishers while the other two boasted creativity with Masawi scoring gems,” said Eddy.
Masawi was a consistent goal scorer averaging 15 goals a season. Ndumiso Gumede whose dance with the game spans over five decades said Dynamos’ Oliver Kateya, George Shaya, Edward Katsvere, Kembo Chunga and Gift Mpariwa had at one time been involved in some deadly partnerships.
Highlanders’ Josiah Nxumalo said was an aggressive striker who used his body and pace to good effect to combine with the likes of Mabaleka, Cavin Duberley, Tommy Masuku and Mafaro with devastating effect.
Former Air Zimbabwe Jets, Highlanders and AmaZulu great defender, one of the best centre backs ever to emerge in Zimbabwe, had Norman Komani and Mulenga Chewe at AmaZulu, Luke Jukulile-Petros and Albert Mbano at Lancashire Steel whom he conceded were hard to shut out at Baghdad Stadium in Kwekwe and the lethal pair of Thomas Makwasha and Asani Juma of Shabanie.
“If one did not have speed, he positioned himself well and knew where to run to anticipate a teammate’s pass or run.
Stopping Mbano and Jukulile at Baghdad was not an easy task for a defender,” said Dick.
France Ndlovu the director of FMH Academy said exposure before Independence had seen them lack a better appreciation of the top talent then.
However, he said from what he had heard and read little about, Tymon Mabaleka, the Chiezas, Masanjalas, Shayas, Roderick Simwanzas of Hwange had been part of strikeforces of repute.
“Our exposure then was limited. But after Independence we had Percy Mwase-Stanley Mashezha of Black Aces, Gift Mpariwa and Moses Chunga at Dynamos, Madinda turning several strikers to stars ay Highlanders who include Mudyambanje, Dumisani Ngulube and Bigboy Ndlovu. Dynamos’ Claudius Zviripayi and Vitalis Takawira were handful as much as Maronga Nyangela and Jerry Chidakwa were for Black Rhinos.
“Mike Abrahams was at the heart of the Arcadia attacks as much as Jonah Murewa was with Nkulumo Donga for Chapungu. Zenzo Moyo and Thabani Masawi complemented each other well as did Railstars’ Chewe Mulenga, Givemore Manuella and Collin Nyambiya among the smaller teams were terrible opponents for the opposition,” said France.
Former Highlanders fiery striker and the architect of the club’s four championships in a row Zenzo Moyo added his weight to the story saying he had found Adam Ndlovu and Makwinji-Soma a good partnership. He had also been impressed with Gift Lunga Senior’s work ethic and efficiency in front of goal in a combination with several players a delight to watch.
“Agent Sawu and George Ayibu was a good partnership too for Zimbabwe Saints and they scored a glut of goals,” said the now Bulawayo City Football Club vice chairman.
Innocent Manyalo who grew up supporting his home town club, Hwange and Highlanders says the ultimate partnership was Adam and Peter Ndlovu.
“They read each other well and they were a marvel when they made their runs one going to the centre and other wide on the wing and then delivering the killer blow,” said Manyalo.
Former Eagles, Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints midfielder Stanford Stix Ntini said partnerships were as good as the supply line.
“Creativity around a goal poacher is important. There is less creativity. Player play it simple, there is no more ball artistry, just simple football.
“Look back then there was me passing the ball to Boy Ndlovu and Rahman Gumbo to finish or Boy to Tanny on the other flank for Eddie Zimunya to finish off. Caps had Stic, Shambo and Ndunduma setting up Friday and Tauro just as at Highlanders we had Majuta and Madinda Ndlovu setting up the likes of Mark Watson in the box,” said Ntini.
There were other partnerships of the past that left fans and defenders in awe.
Joseph Zulu, Robert Godoka, a young David Mwanza, David Chisambi and Victor Mapanda for Rio Tinto combining to give central Zimbabwe of football success.
Hwange’s David Khumalo, Isaac Phiri, Leonard Tembo, Machona Sibanda and David Zulu‘s creativity setting up the likes of Roderick Simwanza, Nathan Maduku, Barton Mwalukuka, Skeva Phiri, Jimmy Sibanda, Nyaro Mumba, Twyman Ncube, Chris Yoyo and Joseph Mapholisa made visiting Hwange a hostile trip as different partnerships tore defences apart to record good results.
In the South Zone Soccer League another defence boggling partnership was the one featuring Philemon Muriyengwe and Mactavish Dube. They turned out for Gwanda Ramblers and both had pace and their physical presence in the box was great scoring regularly from distance as well.
