The Sunday News
Danisa Masuku
Having been born and raised in Gweru Sam Semwayo grew up to have a strong affection for the place.
In a heart-to-heart interview he reveals that wherever he went to he proudly raised the Midlands flag high and gave a good picture about the place.
Hence he says after completing his secondary education at Mutamba Secondary School he joined a Gweru outfit which was called Mashonaland FC which was under Gweru Amateur Football Association (Gafa).
He was one of the finest talents who shone for Mashonaland FC, as a result his sublime performances helped him to be selected into a Gafa select, Golden Stars, to represent the City of Progress as Gweru is fondly known.
At the time Amateur football was the foundation of football and it was prioritised unlike now. Semwayo was an instrumental member as he helped his club to clinch the BAT Rosebowl Cup. However, he says the road to success was an uphill task.
“We encountered a lot of challenges. We ran out of cash to hire a bus to Bulawayo to play against Bulawayo Callies, a solution came when the club’s hierarchy approached a businessman and he chipped in with a financial aid and we managed to fulfil the fixture,” he reveals.
As if that was not enough he says most of the players were not released by the companies that they were working for.
“At the time most of the players were full time employees for companies such as Bata, Risco Steel, such companies could not release some of the players to fulfil the matches. As a result we had to travel with a depleted squad,” he says.
After a short spell with Mashonaland FC, Semwayo joined Gweru United and played in the midfield department.
“When I joined Gweru United in 1969 coaches played me as an attacking midfielder and I proved my worth in that area and it became my regular position till I retired from soccer,” he shares.
He says at the time Pisa Pisa, as Gweru United was popularly known, suffered media blackout. Why?
“The media paid much attention to the teams that were based in Bulawayo and Harare. It saddened me because most of the budding players and seasoned players were not all that popular like the players who were playing for teams such as Mashonaland United, Bulawayo Wanderers, Matabeleland Highlanders, Black Aces, and Tornadoes,” he says.
He has a sad story to tell about Gweru United.
“Gweru United was a team with a lot of potential but we lacked financial support and as a result we failed to lure quality players. Sadly we failed to win any championship until the club was relegated from Super League,” he says.
But the team did not encounter only those problems; he says the management was also a big let-down.
“The team had no sound management and that affected the smooth running of the club. Due to that coaches were not staying for long with our club,” he reveals.
He reveals that during his long stint with Gweru United the side did not clinch any silverware. For them it was a so near yet so far scenario.
“We were usually beaten in semi- finals or Cup finals, as a result we did not clinch any Cup and that’s how sad it was,” he reminisces.
Despite going through a turbulent period the Gweru outfit soldiered on and in some seasons produced quality players that are worth mentioning like Wonder Chaka, a prolific goal scorer who scored 76 goals from 1981 to 1983. Chaka was among many Gweru United players who were shining lights.
He was part of the pioneering Zimbabwe national football team at Independence in 1980 when Zimbabwe national team was under the mentorship of John Rugg.
His memorable game was when he they beat Matabeleland Highlanders at Ascot Stadium.
“At the time Matabeleland Highlanders had quality players and was hot property in the Super League but we beat them 2-1 at our hunting ground — Ascot stadium. That Matabeleland Highlanders side had Sydney Zimunya and Douglas “British” Mloyi, just to mention two,” he says.
However, his worst match was when his side was beaten by Zimbabwe Saints in 1975 at Barbourfields.
“We were beaten 3-1 by Zimbabwe Saints and the match was difficult because for the entire part of the match I was under lock and key from Sibanda who was my former teammate at high school and he knew my style and there was Gibson Homela whom I used to play alongside at Mashonaland United here in Gweru,” he says.
He is of the view that yester year players were more talented that the current crop of players.
“I cannot compare the current crop of Premiership players and Super league players! Super League players were miles better than the current crop players. For example who could match Gorge Shaya’s rare talent in the midfield and he proved his worth by being crowned Soccer Star five times. He was named Rhodesian Soccer Star of the Year on five occasions (1969, 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1977),” he reveals.
After feeling that age had caught up with him he called time on his career in 1988. The club’s hierarchy roped him to be a club treasurer, a position he held for three years before joining the technical department as the assistant coach to William Sibanda.
“With an interest in coaching I joined the coaching department and was assistant to William Sibanda. And it was easy working under him as he had an open door policy and was someone who could take advice,” he says.
But he faced a turbulent time in his new task.
“The team had no sponsorship. Players lacked motivation. Out of a squad of 22 players 11 would not turn up for training in protest over unpaid salaries and winning bonuses and that affected the morale of the team.
As a result talented players left the club, Wonder Chaka left to Caps United, my young brother Collin Semwayo left to the United States of America. We failed to lure quality players to replace those who had left and that led to relegation of the club and its eventual disbandment,” he reveals.
He says his heart bleeds for Gweru United as the outfit identified with the people of Gweru and had many passionate supporters. In a bid to revive Gweru United Semwayo appealed to the former Gweru United players who are in the corporate world and those who could provide technical skills to join forces and revive Gweru United.
Fact File
He was born on 5 May 1951. He is blessed with four children namely Ethel (45), Samuel (44), Innocent (36) and Farai (33).
He says soccer opened a lot of opportunities for him which enabled him to buy a house in Gweru at Mkoba 3 Suburb.
