The Sunday News
IT is ever a debatable subject which generation of footballers rocked for any particular team.
Statistics or achievements tend to be the judge. Nonetheless, former Hwange FC defence stalwart Obert “Cobra” Moyo’s name is up there among the club’s greatest players.
He may not have won anything tangible for the club but his stellar performances that earned him national colours, make him among the best in a list of towering footballers that brought pride and fame to Hwange on either side of Zimbabwe’s Independence.
While Twyman Ncube, Posani Sibanda, Rodrick Simwanza, Sam Mutende, Daniel Rendo, Jimmy Sibanda and Amos Rendo claim the honours for the 1970 and 1973 Castle Cup conquests, made more spectacular by the fact that in the first conquest they were a mere Second Division side.
Benjamin Moyo
Then there is the Knight Mathe, Mebelo Njekwa, David Phiri, Luke Masomere, Benjamin Moyo, Dumisani Mafikeni, Venancio Ncube, Rodger Sibanda and Johannes Tshuma gang that won the third Castle Cup for the club in 1991 and the birth to the Caf Cup Winners Cup, there was a generation in the late 1990s into the 2000s that consisted of individually talented stars.
This group has Moyo, Chenjerai Dube, Brian Njobvu, Taboniswa Ncube, Jabulani Ngwenya, Gilbert Zulu, David Boriwondo, Milos Phiri, Abu Milanzi, Salim Milazi, Jayi Longwe, Rodwell Chinyengetere, Alick “Ricco” Nyoni and Norman Njelele, their lack of silverware collectively as a team does not obliterate their legendary status as footballers in the corridors of the mining town compounds.
Rodwell Chinyengetere,
Moyo stands tall with the honour of being the most capped player from Hwange town. With 17 caps for the Young Warriors, nine at Under-23, 19 at senior national team level and a 2006 Soccer Star of the Year finalist and the honour of playing in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa, he is a living legend in Hwange.
But like most players from the coalmining town, it all began on the streets and that occasional afternoon at either Makwika Stadium or Lwendulu having an idle kick about at half-time, trying to emulate tricks by the senior players on show.
Born in 1981 in the Makwika Suburb better known to many as Number Three (3) Compound, street football, weekend league action and the weekly bioscope was all Moyo had for entertainment with the occasional garden watering and errand to the shops all he could do.
His first three primary school days were spent at Makwika Primary, an institution which like most in the Colliery identified many boys who grew up to be Wankie/Hwange Football Club Legends.
He would later move on to St Ignatius Primary School, another bastion of academic and sporting excellence headed by the football loving headmaster Cephas Tshuma who ran his own afternoon plastic balls league just next to one of the Grade Seven classes.
Moyo was nicknamed Cobra in Makwika in street soccer.
“I got my nickname Cobra when I was still a little boy playing plastic footballs in the compounds. I used to be hard on the tackle though fair. I took no prisoners at.
“Some kids could not cope with that when I went for one versus one duels with them. They would leave the ball and older community members who used to watch us, one of them gave me that nickname,” said Moyo.
When he moved to Hwange Secondary School where he was played as an anchorman, he earned another nickname — Lodza.
“Those who used to watch us play likened my game to that of the Darryn T and Caps United legend Lloyd Chitembwe,” said Moyo.
Thabani Masawi
Perhaps already with the moniker Cobra they saw it fit to call him Lodza as the legendary Chitungwiza midfielder had an uncanny habit of spitting on the pitch.
None of his parents were into sport but he drew inspiration from his cousin Wankie FC legend Austin Ncube who played for the club as right back and centre back.
“As a schoolboy I played with the likes of Alick Nyoni, Phillip Jambaya, Tofireyi Sambo, Artwell Nyoni. I was more of a utility player and I would not say there was any particular individual who influenced to take up football.
“But growing up at a time there was a vibrant Wankie Amateur Football Association (Wafa) and also going to watch Hwange FC in the Super League and Premiership really inspired me,” said Moyo.
Speaking of one of the greatest players to emerge from the Colliery, Amos Rendo, he said he was too young to have watched him, but after stumbling on each other while he (Moyo) was doing individual training, a relationship blossomed.
“He kept advising me and encouraging me to be a better defender and we became very close,” said Moyo, of one of the biggest names ever to emerge from Hwange.
Also in his late teens staying close to the stadium and feeling the vibe when big teams Caps United, Dynamos, Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints were in town, whetted his appetite for big time football and his wish would be granted in 1999 when just 19 years old.
“That experience drove my desire and the local league was very competitive and exciting with a lot of very good players,” said Moyo, who joined Rufaro Rovers, the pride of Lwendulu Village for decades.
He was invited to the club by one Lazarus “Captain Lazi” Sakala. The coach was none other than Lwedulu Legend a former Marist Brothers, Dete and Hwange defender Vitalis “Archie” Kamocha.
Moyo played for the amateur side for one season and was invited to join Hwange juniors which were coached by Dumisani Mafikeni at a time when a stone thrown into a group of 30 residents of Hwange was most likely to hit a celebrated football.
Joel Luphahla
Football was Hwange and Hwange was football, the community was crazy and loved the sport to the core with village teams adored with a following of people who would not hesitate to walk 8km to other villages risking being maimed by elephants.
A year later Cobra was promoted to the first team.
“My debut match in the Premiership was against Highlanders FC and the coaches were happy with my game. It was a BP League Cup game and I just played to instructions, protecting the ball and initiating attacks.
“I was up against the marauding trio of Joel Luphahla, Thabani Masawi and Zenzo Moyo. We beat Highlanders 2-0 and the next afternoon on a Sunday drew 0-0 with Railstars which had the likes of Mulenga Chewe. I would say it was a 9/10 debut ranking for me and I partnered Taboniswa Ncube and Victor Mpofu at the heart of the defence,” said Moyo.
For all his brilliance for club he regrets not winning silverware with Hwange despite several appearances in finals.
He was ever present in the Hwange line-up before moving to South Africa to join Pretoria University in 2008 in the South African First Division.
He thanks God for keeping him injury free and suspensions despite playing for probably the second hardest tackling Premiership side in the Southern Region after AmaZulu.
His partners in crime included Alick Noyoni, Njelele, Geoffrey Ndlovu, Hlanganani Ngwenya and Vusa Ndebele.
His first league goal was in 2000, a scorcher from a dead ball situation against Mutare army side, Buffaloes.
“As a defender I would say I was technically sound and a good reader of the game. I came across many good strikers but I found myself equal to the task against them,” said the Hwange and Zimbabwe football living legend.
His most memorable match was a 3-0 home win over Dynamos in a team that had the likes of Gift Muzadzi, Makwinji Soma-Phiri, Lloyd Mutasa and Callisto Pasuwa.
A bronze medallist at the 2003 Afro-Asia Games in India, a Cosafa gold medal winner with both senior team and Young Warriors and a Nedbank Cup (South Africa) runner-up with Platinum Stars, Moyo who also played for Don Bosco in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says a 6-2 loss to Blue Swallows at home is his worst football memory.
“We had lost 14 senior players who left for greener pastures. It was the beginning of the season and we just snapped up,” said the former tough defender.
His best league position with Hwange was fourth and in South Africa second with Platinum Stars.
Moyo, who retired in 2019 and was rooting for Liverpool last night in the Uefa Champions League Cup final, holds a Zimbabwe Level Three and a South African D coaching certificate is assisting his former club Hwange FC who currently lead the Zifa Southern Region Division One League log.
Moyo was lucky to invest in property while playing and has two houses. Moyo has a boiler making background as back up should football jobs run out.
He is also into commodity broking and coincidentally is married to the sister of his former goalkeeping teammate Chenjerai Dube. The couple is blessed with four kids. For now Moyo’s focus is trying to get the club back into the Premiership.
