The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
THIS week we continue our interview with Chris Mhlanga, a yesteryear great who had a chequered career with Eastlands, Highlanders, Bulawayo Wanderers, Dynamos, Rio Tinto, Rufaro Rovers and Nimfa Rangers.
LD: You said you sneaked out of Rio Tinto because had it been made public that you were returning to Harare, there could have been near riots . . .
CM: Yah . . . because after the challenge against BSAP Thomlison where I scored four goals in the 4-1 win, fans and community at Eiffel Flats loved me. Remember the previous week we had been hit for six when I did not play. This time around I was in action and made all the difference.
LD: Who are the guys you found at Dynamos and how was the reception?
CM: The Dynamos scouts were impressed with what they had seen of me and were aware of my capabilities. I was a hit in Harare so the reception was great. Then Dynamos had the likes of George Shaya, George Makhabichi, Clever Hunda, Simon Sachiti, goalkeeper Charles Gwatidzo, David Madondo.
LD: You were at the peak of your career, were you ever capped?
CM: I was and I scored on my debut when we beat Malawi 3-1 at Number One Ground (Rufaro Stadium) in a national team which had the likes of Rob Jordan, Philemon Tigere, James Chibaya, Topsy Robertson, Gibson Homela, Stewart Knowells, Sheperd Murape and James Nxumalo among those I can still remember in January of 1969.
LD: Dynamos is synonymous with success and brilliant players, any notable achievements in Dynamos colours?
CM: We won the Albar Trophy in 1970. We led the log up to August by six points and we began to lose ground and were helped by Eastlands who beat Chibuku both home and away.
LD: You were on the move again this time back to Bulawayo where you were in 1965 turning out briefly for Eastlands and Red Army, how did your move come by?
CM: At that time I was in the Dynamos reserves for some unexplained reasons. Highlanders saw me play in the reserves as a defender and I scored all the goals for Dynamos. Doctor Jahalamajaha Dlamini, Chris Zwambila and radio announcer Joseph Masuku were influential in my move to Highlanders and Mtshena Sidile was the Bosso chairman then.
LD: Your move coincided with the club’s maiden campaign in the elite division, and they were on about three points when you arrived in July, what was the problem from your point of view?
CM: They had played lower division football from 1969 when they left Bafa and their promotion to the elite league at the end of 1970 was not met with adequate preparations and resources. They did not play enough friendly matches with top clubs to prepare. They were a ball of nerves and only managed a paltry seven points the whole season taking their tally there with the 4-1 win over Callies in the last match of the season in which I was on target.
LD: But looking at the profiles of the players who were there, better was expected.
CM: Certainly with Lawrence Phiri, John Vella, Edward Dzowa, Nehemiah Dube, Ananias Dube, Andrew Jelele, Billy Sibanda, Tennyson Mloyi and Tommy Masuku, they were a potent force lacking in confidence, exposure and experience.
LD: We understand you were given the role of player/coach . . .
CM: Largely because I had trained to be a coach while in Harare with the likes of George Shaya under Dan Maclennan. I was the more experienced and most exposed of the players having played for Dynamos, Rufaro and other clubs, so they wanted to tap on my experience.
LD: You had an easy return to the top division, why was it so?
CM: In 1972 we were just too strong for the lower division opposition and we reached the semi-finals of the Castle Cup. Our players were maturing. I then decided to look at younger players for the future and asked if Silas Ndlovu who was in the reserves and owned a car could be manager since the other manager, a Mr Nyathi had a bicycle to move around.
LD: Your stay was shortlived, you were soon on the move.
CM: We had differences on the way forward. I insisted on juniors but Ndlovu and the club now wanted instant results. So what happened is that Highlanders wanted Tymon Mabaleka from Eastlands and a deal was struck that I move across town. I had a good time there as we won most of our last 16 matches of the season while on the other hand Highlanders brought in almost 11 players who included Itai Chieza, Martin Kennedy, Boet Van Ays, Cavin Duberley, Isaac Mafaro and Mabaleka.
LD: How did you feel that they went on to achieve more in your absence?
CM: I was happy to have been part of the foundation.
LD: Who were the people behind Eastlands and the players you played with?
CM: It was a great side with William Chirwa the goalkeeper I had met at Kadoma and played with Phillip Vhiri Mhlanga, Cosmas Zulu and Power Chitsike. City businessmen like Nyaguze, Chikerema, Zemura and Job Kadengu later to be Dynamos and Zifa boss were the big shots who funded the club. Actually when I briefly played for Eastlands in 1965, I was a lodger at the house of Kadengu’s sister at Block 99 Mpopoma. Kadengu took care of me.
LD: You did not last two seasons at Eastlands, why?
CM: I had a great time there scoring for fun. If you look at the Chronicle of September 13, 1973 I led the charts with 18 goals from 16 matches. There were good strikers like Josiah Nxumalo to compete with who were pushing me. Others are Nathan Maduku, John Nyumbu, Cavin Duberley, Alfred Dzimbiri, Winston Feldman, Francis Ngara, Timmy Mutsvedu and Patrick Kushure. My stock was high as in 1972 I was captain of the Matabeleland Select where I had players like Alick Mwanza, Nelson Mapara, William Chirwa, Benie Brandt, Kevin Sheridan, Barry Daka, Amos Rendo, Phineas Chideme and Emmanuel Sibanda. I had the dual role of player and coach at Eastlands too. You know football is never fair.
LD: Why? What injustice was perpetrated for you to say that?
CM: I was standing at the centre of the field at Nguboyenja instructing players to run in a particular way. As I turned to the officials and fans outside the pitch, there was an instruction for someone to run with others. They were shouting “iwee chimanya nevamwe” (Hey you run with others). I later realised they were pointing a finger at me instructing me to run since they now had a new coach, a white guy. I just picked up my training bag and said some obscene something to them and headed to the Chronicle.
LD: Had you missed your day’s copy of the Chronicle?
CM: No, I was going to announce my retirement from the game at the age of 28. I felt the game was not a fair field and I had been treated without respect. The least they could have done was to invite me to their offices and tell me that they had found a new coach.
LD: Was that the end of you in the beautiful game?
CM: I was invited to Bulawayo Wanderers in 1975 by a Mr Kuhn and the reception from players was great. There was Mapleni Nyathi, Ronnie Maseko and Majuta all happy to have me in their camp. Morale was spoilt at the club by poor funding.
LD: There you were again on the road, this time to relative football obscurity, you left Bulawayo Wanderers the same year, 1975. What prompted your harsh decision considering that your career appears to have been affected by your many moves.
CM: We played Callies at Ross Camp. I had bought a new pair of shoes and after the match I could not find them in the dressing room. I had to travel home putting on football boots and that was it for me as a player.
LD: Did you venture into coaching afterwards?
CM: I stayed five years without going to football frustrated with the injustices until Douglas Mloyi one of my junior players at Highlanders with Peter Nkomo, invited me to Barbourfields Stadium.
I actually cried. My body was sweating and at half time people asked that I be taken home because I was not happy with the way football was being played and the way I had also quit the game.
LD: You bounced back into the reckoning in 1982 with the formation of the Bulawayo Social Soccer League . . .
CM: We realised with the likes of Chris Somo, Isaac Banda, Charles Chiponda and a couple of other guys that former players were not meeting. Another factor we wanted it to be a players’ union to cater for the players’ welfare. At least we were able to bring Bulawayo together, even tsotsis became members of clubs from the townships and were kept occupied and far from crime.
LD: Who were the best players you watched or played against?
CM: Peter Nyama, Ernest Kamba, Duncan Chamboko, Ray Makhanda, Simon Chaichai, Super Simon Supiya, Titus Mgodi, Gibson Homela, Tymon Mabaleka and Benjie Brandts.
LD: Who were your most difficult opponents?
CM: Haa (chuckle) I had no difficult opponent. I was a crafty player who often outwitted defenders.
LD: You were honoured by Bulawayo City Council and at one time you were invited by Zifa to bring sanity at Eagles in 1988, what did that mean to you?
CM: It meant the world. I was happy to have been given Civic Honours and to have played a part at Zifa’s invitation at Eagles in 1988. I have played my part in the game.
LD: Thanks for your time mdala.
CM: . . . (He laughs) So how much am I going to get since your paper will be sold out on Sunday wena mfana?
*Cosmas Zulu who played with Mhlanga at Eastlands described the much travelled great as a gem.
“Chris was a brilliant striker who used his brain and was great being played off as the old Number 10. He could flick on with his head, run into space and finish off with devastating effect.
“He had this style of standing with a defender and then flicking the ball behind his marker then turn and race towards goal to finish off. He was a great man to play with and learn from. He benefited my game a lot and I was lucky to have met a man of his calibre. Many strikers scored more goals because of him.”
