The Sunday News
Danisa Masuku
Daniel Moyo is truly a staunch Highlanders supporter and has been following the team since 1973 when he came to stay in Bulawayo from his rural home in Nkayi, Matabeleland North province.
A chance meeting when Highlanders was conducting its training sessions at Barbourfields grounds quickly enticed the fresh-faced 26-year-old Moyo to be one of the many ardent followers of the black and white army.
“I was coming from Mpilo hospital where I had gone to visit my uncle who was not feeling well and saw Highlanders conducting its training sessions at Barbourfields outside grounds and I was charmed seeing the slick Highlanders side that boasted of the talent in the form of James Nxumalo, who played in the midfield department, Zenzo Ndlovu, who also played as a midfielder. Josiah Nxumalo, Tymon Mabaleka, Tomy Masuku, and Cavin Duberly were forwards. The back line had Boet Vanas, who was a central defender, Edward Dzowa played in the left back, and Lawrence Phiri played in the right back. The brothers Jeffrey Mpofu and Mike Mpofu were substitutes,” he recalls.
The side was in the safe hands of Silas Ndlovu and went on to lift coveted Chibuku Cup in the 1973.
Moyo still cherishes that Chibuku Cup euphoria when the club had to hire 26 buses for the team’s faithful to travel for a wonder spectacle that was to take place in the capital.
“It was an electric atmosphere as the club executive had to hire 26 buses for us to travel to Harare to cheer our team. What made the encounter so special to me is that we won the match against Mhangura FC,” he shares.
Moyo reveals that when they would have an encounter with a strong side they would camp at the stadium for the entire night.
“During those days teams were so eager to win and would turn to all kinds of tricks to win the match. On the eve of the match supporters of the opposition team would sneak into the stadium and plant any kind of juju that ranged from bottles of urine, concoctions to raw pork near the goal posts so as to confuse players. We would organise ourselves and sleep at the stadium. It was the belief back then,” he reveals.
Moyo reveals that when they suspected that the dressing room was smeared with juju as a counter they would quickly advise the coaches not to use the changing rooms.
“John Dube and I would advise the coaches not to go to the changing rooms and the coaches would heed our advice and order the players to change into their kits in the bus,” he shares.
He reveals that at times they were tipped by their moles within the opposition club hierarchy not to use the main entrance to the stadium, as a result they would tip the coaches to use an undesignated point to gain entry into the football pitch.
“We would organise six supporters who would stand at the point where the players would gain entry into the pitch. Players would climb on us and scale over the fence and land on the pitch,” he recalls.
He says his favourite player was Mark Watson. He recalls an encounter when Juluka as Watson was fondly known in football circles scored a hat-trick against Ziscosteel when Highlanders was in the murky waters of relegation in 1980.
“At the time our team was enduring a goal drought period and was at the bottom of the log. Watson scored three goals in that encounter,” he recalls.
Following that top drawer performance former Chronicle Sports reporter Luke Mhlaba aptly wrote his headline on 12 November 1980: “Watson lifts Highlanders off the bottom” and summed up his introduction by saying: “He scored a hat-trick against Ziscosteel in a closely fought match at Barbourfields.”
Watson was one of the first players to don the senior national soccer team’s jersey soon after the attainment of Independence in April 1980 and played under legendary coach John Rugg and later under Shepherd Murape in an epic battle against
“Indomitable Lions” of Cameroon in the first leg of a World Cup qualifier in Yaounde on October 12, 1980.
That team was laced with gifted players such as Graham Boyle, Bruce Grobbelaar, Oliver Kateya, Max Tshuma, captain Sunday (Marimo) Chidzambwa, Joseph Zulu, Charles “Raw Meat” Sibanda, Tymon Mabaleka, Shacky “Mr Goals” Tauro, Gibson “Homeboy” Homela, David “Yogi” Mandigora, Majid Dhana, Bethal Salis, Laban Kandi, Raphael Phiri, and Steven Chuma.
He reveals that they used to travel alongside the players in the same bus.
“We would travel with players and the coaches in the same bus and cheer the team all the way,”he says.
He says at the time the team used to camp at businessman and patron Tafi Moyo’s house at “0” Square in Mzilikazi suburb.
“We would depart to the match venue from Tafi’s house with the team and the club executive valued us,” he reveals.
Now at 71, Moyo is still a common face at football matches where Highlanders will be playing. Commenting on the current Highlanders squad that is captained by Honest Moyo he says: “I have followed the boys since the start of the season and what I can say is that they will improve and as supporters we need to be patient with them.”
He rates the slick Thulani “Biya” Ncube’s captained squad which won three league championships between 1999 and 2001 as one of his best squad after independence.
“They gave their all on the football pitch and they would win almost every match and had the club at heart,” he says, adding that Biya was a good leader who led from the front.
Fact file
Daniel Moyo was born in 1947 in Mtshayebhuma, Nkayi.
He attended Dimbamiwa Primary School before finishing primary level at Siyezi Primary School.
He is married and has ten children.
He worships at Centre of Miracles Church of Christ (CMCC)
