The Sunday News
ONE of Highlanders Football Club’s most loved and remembered stars from the 1980s Netsai ‘Super’ Moyo has disclosed 11 players who impacted positively on the game.
His list drawn from stars of the yesteryear era has Tymon ‘Whitehorse’ Mabaleka (Highlanders), Max ‘Shaluza’ Tshuma (Zimbabwe Saints), David ‘Yogi’ Mandigora (Dynamos), Stanford ‘Stix’ M’tizwa (Caps United), Lawrence ‘Lofty’ Phiri (Highlanders), Gibson Homela (Zimbabwe Saints), Augustine ‘Gasho’ Lunga (Highlanders), Oliver ‘Flying Saucer’ Kateya (Dynamos), Ephraim Dzimbiri (Ziscosteel), Charles Sibanda (Caps United) and Philemon Dangarembwa (Zimbabwe Saints).
It is no wonder perhaps that a majority of those players operated on the left channel in defence or defensive midfielders.
It is what the former Highlanders juniors nicknamed Liverpool star went on to make a name in adult football life.
He was as effective on the wing as he was at the centre as a defensive link, skilful, good reader of the game who would not waste energy when there was no danger towards him.
Fair and firm on the tackle, Moyo was a darling to the Bosso fans and liked across the country.
He was as a player a charismatic individual and still carries those qualities decades after retiring.
“My journey in football started when I was young playing as a midfielder hence I was inspired by Tymon, Max, Yogi and Stix.
“They were excellent ball players with unprecedented ball controlling skills and great passing,” said Moyo.
Moyo said the aforesaid players were the cogs of the engine rooms of the clubs they played for.
“I enjoyed every bit of their play which made me fall deeper in love with the game of football,” said Moyo of an unfortunate situation where present day kids have no role models among local stars.
Moyo said the players were par excellence on the field and inspired generations that indulged in the game.
“I was converted to a defender and my focus switched to a defender and my focus switched to the likes of Augustine Lunga, Oliver Kateya, Ephraim Dzimbiri, Charles Sibanda and Philemon Dangarembwa,” said the star who was denied further caps to his about 20 with the Zimbabwe Under-20 team of 1984-86.
He said the players were cool and played collectively with the rest of the team when they were in possession of the ball in their own third.
Moyo loved the way they built from the back.
“All of them were active in their teams as they overlapped and created numbers in attack,” reminisced Moyo.
Super said most of their crosses ended up in the box creating problems for the opposition defence.
He also spoke of two stalwarts whose service to the game and their respective teams is mammoth, Gibson Homela and Lawrence Phiri. Both he noted were different from the other nine players he mentioned.
“Their play was physical and imposing.”
Moyo said both would not take any striker lightly and appeared to always out muscle any opposition both on the air and ground.
Coincidentally both played almost every position with Phiri grabbed from Matabeleland High City to assist Ananias Dube in the goalkeeping department in 1970.
Homela on the other end was even a fiery striker who started in the final qualifier against Australia in the for the 1970 World Cup finals hosted by Brazil, the eventual winners.
Moyo said from his list of players, he adored, he picked some positive attributes about them like leadership skills as they went on to captain their respective clubs.
“They would never desert the ship, they would not allow the ship to sink as they would always be bucking instructions.
These are my best 11 players and they shaped my style of play,” said the Bosso legend.
Moyo (55) is a match day event manager with the Premier Soccer League, he is also involved with Highlanders
Veterans and at one stage was at junior football development side Bantu Rovers.
