The Sunday News
The venue was Barbourfields Stadium on a scorching Saturday afternoon when Tanny Banda was drafted into the Highlanders first team in 1986 in a heroic battle that pitted Bosso and Zimbabwe Saints.
The two football bulls were battling it out for pride in the city.
He proved to be an asset to the Barry Daka-coached side as Highlanders won the highly fought match courtesy of his sterling performance as he scored a winning goal, helping his team to win 3-2.
When he scored supporters jovially remarked: It’s a Banda while some exclaimed TB . . . TB . . . TB in the midst of an electrifying atmosphere at BF.
They were belting out joyful chants to him as he skilfully tapped the ball in and left many in awe. They fondly called him TB after they wittily lifted-off his initials.
He took cue from his father Chilati Kangwa Banda who also played soccer back in his native country Malawi before coming to Zimbabwe. When he had the ball he kept many on the edge of their seats as he charmed them with his magical skills.
Born in Bulawayo at Mpilo Central Hospital on 4 September 1963, he grew up in Makokoba suburb. For his entire primary education he attended St Patricks Primary School and went to St Columbus High School.
In Makokoba he got involved in soccer. He then joined EastTalk FC where he turned out for the Under-14 team. A team which was owned by a man called Maffoties. Before long the ambitious Maffoties’s cash ran dry and this prompted him to leave to join Zimbabwe Saints, then called Mashonaland United. He did not stay long as he left and joined Bulawayo Rockets FC which was in Division Two.
He says he spent four years at Bulawayo Rockets before joining Monarch United FC.
Due to his fine displays and scoring exploits Eagles FC scouts spotted him and invited him to join their team and he grabbed the opportunity.
At Eagles TB played alongside household names such as Johannes Tshuma, Rahman Gumbo, Boy Ndlovu, Elvis Chiweshe and the late Francis Paketh. He still has fond memories for Eagles FC.
“When I joined Eagles my confidence was at rock bottom but our coach, the late Majuta Mpofu, inspired me to believe in myself and as such I adopted a winning mentality. And that helped in improving my game,” he remembers.
However, he has a bitter memory about his stint at Eagles.
“We were trounced 5-2 by Arcadia United in a Chibuku Cup final at Rufaro Stadium in Harare, due to that we were hurt because that Cup carried good prize money,”he says.
During his stint at Eagles, TB was noticed by Highlanders scouts who quickly snapped him up in 1986. In that star-studded side of 1986 he played alongside Dumisani Nyoni, Douglas Mloyi, Madinda Ndlovu, Mercedes Sibanda, Willard Khumalo, Rahman Gumbo, Titus Majola, Dumisani Ngulube, Abraham Madondo, Amin Soma-Phiri, Fanuel Ncube and Peter Nkomo among others.
Football fundi Ndumiso Gumede was the chairman while Lawrence Phiri was the team manager. The outfit was coached by Daka while Cosmas Tsano Zulu was the assistant coach.
The class of 1986 swept all the trophies in that year. The trophy laden side landed the Africa Day, Independence, Chibuku and Zifa Cup trophies.
Noting the success of that year, TB picks that class as his best 11 of choice. What he recalls about the formidable force is: “Our team had stability and we became a family and as such we developed a spirit of team work. We understood each other and that inspired a winning mentality in us.”
He had countless tricks to get past defenders and he was renowned for his dribbling wizardry skills. Often, defenders would be all over him and harassed him but still he soldiered on.
The success makes a mockery of the obituaries that were written about his career when he joined Highlanders, where many football fanatics thought he would not make it at the black and white army that was made up of stars.
They believed he would be condemned to the bench. However, they had to cancel the epitaph after he produced satisfying performances.
The talent to read the game and pick out perfect passes earned him a regular place in the first team. As if it was a ritual he won jersey number 11 and also played number 11. He flashes back his memory with joy; when his team locked horns with Dynamos in a titanic clash for the Africa Day trophy. Highlanders beat DeMbare 2: 1
“It was on a sunny Sunday afternoon when we clashed against our biggest rivals Dynamos at BF. The stadium was packed and the fans were whistling and hungry for success. I scored the first goal and provided an assist which was scored by Tito Paketh,” he fondly recalls.
For his sterling performance he was voted Man of the Match and he was given a pair of soccer boots. However, a nagging knee injury forced him to quit football in 2001. Having a passion for science, TB pursued a course in Laboratory Technician at Specis College. The course earned him a job as a Lab technician job at Montrose Girls High School.
TB believes Highlanders FC has high chances of clinching the PSL title.
“I hold the technical team in high regard and I believe this could be their year. They have assembled a good squad that could do best in the league,” he said.
He features for Highlanders Legends, a social team that is made up of former Highlanders players that include Thabani Masawi, Blessing Gumiso, Johannes Tshuma, Tobias Mudyambanje, Douglas Mloyi, Themba Ncube, Zenzo Moyo, Simon Sibanda to mention but a few.
TB is married to Sithembinkosi Banda. They have three children, namely Toto Banda who turns out for How Mine FC, Millicent and Dina who turns out for Highlanders Royals FC.
