The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
CLEARLY defined development structures set up by mining companies like Wankie Colliery were the foundation of junior football.
It was crystal clear the route the boys would take from an early age as the company supported soccer at competitive level from Grade Three.
One such product of many produced at the time on either side of independence is Botswana and Zimbabwe legend Fabian Zulu.
“I started playing at an early age at Lwendulu Primary School. I must have been in Grade Three or so that I was recognised for the school’s second team that would curtain raise for the senior team for Grade Six and Sevens in a league for local schools,” said Zulu.
He said the schools’ leagues were part of the Wankie FC development initiative with the parent company sponsoring all schools with transport within the concession area in a league. This nursery produced several stars as first team players among them Barry Daka, Amos Rendo, Rodrick Simwanza and Twyman Ncube were seconded to coach Under-14s and 16s drawn from schools for competitions such as the Chibuku Trophy and Castle Cup respectively which were national.
Zulu was already in the books of local Wankie Football Association giants, Rufaro Rovers by the time he was in Form Two at Wankie Secondary School which later changed to Hwange.
He was later to join another local league side star-studded Giant Killers after his secondary school education as his career began to take shape.
Zulu would later get the taste of semi-professional football by joining Zesa, a First Division side now known as ZPC (Hwange).
“The development structures in Hwange were great, coaches like former players Posani and Amos kept an eye on us from primary school through our secondary school days at local schools. Those who opted to go to boarding schools were never lost unless they shifted to big towns or went to their rural homes. The boarders would come during holidays and play for local sides so they would remain within the scouts’ eyes.
“I confess that the era was a very competitive one for any boy in Hwange as most of us would have played junior football from about 1979 together at primary school right up to the mid-1980s at secondary school. There were better boys like the late Andrew Banda who played for Hwange and Railstars and Fanyana Mguni who for their talents deserved to go far,” said Zulu.
His generation had Stanley Nkomo, Misheck Chubhu Sibanda, Chabuka Mwale, Mbunge Khumalo, Isaac Tshuma, Vitalis Kamocha, Peter Ncube, London Khumalo, Mindo Nyoni among many who shone either at the colliery side of ZPC (Hwange) and army side Rusupuko or were at Railstars at its inception.
After two years with the power utility side, brawny 19-year-old Zulu was snatched by the Super League side Hwange in 1989.
With Hwange still living in the shadows of the great side of the 1970s which won the Castle Cup in 1970 and 1973, the search for new heroes was still high.
Legends like Barry Daka, David Khumalo, Amos Rendo, Daniel Rendo, Sam Mutende, Stephen Chuma, Posani Sibanda, Chutika Tembo, Leonard Tembo, Mwape Sakala, Rodrick Simwanza, Isaac Phiri had left an indelible mark not only in the community and Chamber of Mine Championships, but in the national football spectrum.
For a winger Zulu knew the task ahead as he was expected to rise to the levels of dribblers Malvern Kennedy, Gideon Zulu, David Khumalo and Kakoma Kayonga.
“The Hwange side I joined had a good team of brilliant footballers Chris Piningo, Shepherd Muradzikwa, Chingumbe Masuku, Lowani Nyathi, Dickson Banda, Mebelo Njekwa and Venacio Ncube.
“Paul Moyo was our coach and he moulded me to a better player. We had Godfrey Tamirepi whom I had played with at Wankie Secondary, David Phiri, Rodger Sibanda and Isaac Tshuma who I knew from childhood. Johannes Tshuma was to join us later.
“My happiest moment was in scoring the winner in a Heroes Cup final against Caps United,” said Zulu.
Zulu says the Colliery side was a formidable opponent home and away in the past because of a strong local league. He said competition for places was so high and he says confidently that Wafa could have raised three formidable sides for the town to compete in the modern Premiership.
“There was so much talent back then in the local league. I have no doubt that three teams to compete in the Premiership could easily have been assembled from local sides which included Grinaker, Iwisa, Giant Killers, Rufaro Rovers, Brazil, Kabwe Warriors, Raith Rovers, Blue Bombers, Zobalika Nazo and Marathon.
The local league paraded locals some of whom had come through the structures of their respective suburbs primary schools and been exposed to better coaching by Wankie players.
“The best players in the schools’ leagues were even invited to regular squad training sessions and used whenever there were courses being run by Mick Poole, Peter Nyama, Lovemore Nyabeze and Ben Koufie for demonstrations,” he said.
Zulu says his uncle Peter Zulu was his biggest influence in his career. He made sure the young lad never missed training or matches.
He pays special tribute to former club goalkeeper Weekly Mwale for encouraging him to dribble more.
“He would say my strength is dribbling to subtract opponents and I would do justice to that. He made me develop self-confidence in every aspect of the game,” said the former Zimbabwe international.
With his stature growing, Zulu added another piece of silverware, the Castle Cup in 1992 which saw the club qualify for the Africa Cup of Winners Cup now with guys like Johannes Tshuma, Nation Dube and Vitalis Kamocha.
As his star shone, Zulu’s career was to get a sudden jerk with revered gaffer, the late Reinhard Fabisch calling him up to the Dream Team.
“The call up to a set up with Max Lunga, Peter Ndlovu, the late Adam Ndlovu, Agent Sawu, Henry Mckop, Rahman Gumbo, Willard Khumalo, Paul Gundani, Bruce Grobbelaar, Mercedes Sibanda, Ephraim Shonhayi, Alois Bunjira and Benjamin Nkonjera was the peak of my career.
“The good thing is that some of the players like Peter and Nkonjera we had already known each other from junior football and the likes of Alois and Stewart Murisa. This made for some great duels whenever we clashed with Highlanders and Darryn T as I would be at my best to prove a point,” said Fabbie as he is affectionately called in Hwange and Botswana.
In 1994 Zulu was invited for a trial in Botswana.
He made the grade at Notwane, a team that had failed to make an impact in that country’s football landscape. In no time with the likes of Innocent Ranku, Notwane transformed into an all-conquering machine which was even strengthened by Highlanders manager Lawrence Phiri who occupied the same role at the club and Paul Moyo who came in as head coach.
“I had a splendid time in Botswana. I won virtually everything that league had to offer. I take heart in that our Notwane of the 1990s became the first Batswana side to reach the last 16 of any Confederation of African Football competition,” said Zulu.
The former attacking midfielder retired in the mid 2000s to go into commentary and match analysis in both radio and television in Botswana where he is immensely popular.
Zulu has never hidden his desire to try his hand at coaching.
“I am hopeful that I may be considered for the next Caf C coaching course. I would love to be involved in the creation of the next generation of football stars,” said Zulu.
He recalls getting a call up from Botswana for the Warriors. He says the move appeared to shock Zimbabwean media most of whom were too young to have known or heard about him.
“In 1996-2001 I was at the top of my game in Botswana and the call up was deserved. I enjoyed my stint with the national teams but would have loved some action during the Dream Team days,” said the Notwane legend.
To this day he believes his Bulawayo brothers Rahman Gumbo, Mercedes Sibanda and Willard Khumalo may have sprained him deliberately at one of the camps.
“It looked certain that Fabisch would start with me in one of the matches in 1993. While in camp the three big brothers whom I had a great relationship with, invited me to one of their rooms and asked me to join them in a wrestling bout.
“I got a sprain to the body and I was ruled out. To this day I laugh about how gullible I was to engage in such given that I was up against Gumbo and Khumalo for a place in the final squad,” said Zulu.
As a schoolboy football menace, Zulu recalls being locked up at Marist Brothers lockers ahead of his school’s tie against the Dete side.
He was released after the match having been crooked into believing he was being taken on a tour of the school’s dormitories.
Zulu is happy with the progress Botswana football has made.
“The influx of foreign coaches and players has improved the standard of the game in the country,” he said.
