The Sunday News
Lawrence Phiri
I have known Barry Daka since we were young boys growing up in Mzilikazi suburb. To be precise I must have been about 10 years old or so when I got to meet and know him from youth club activities at Thabiso in Makokoba. He would later find me hunting for birds with a catapult and invite me to join Highlanders juniors at their inception in the early 1960s.
Barry then left to join Eastern Brothers with the likes of Daniel “Dididi” Ncube (the father of Daniel Bingadadi), Langton Tshuma and Benjamin Kentman Sikhwama at the invitation of one Mr Mutsago.
I remained at Highlanders juniors with players like Kainoti Luphahla, Willie Luphahla and Neil Phiri among other boys.
He made me join Thabiso Youth Centre and at that time made me try my luck at singing. I was not cut for it so I soon left music and continued playing football, a game we both lived and loved.
We were among the pioneering pupils at Mzilikazi High School where some of our schoolmates were footballers — Billy Sibanda, Paul Tsumbe, Nehemiah Sibanda and Kenny Sparks Ngulube. I was a goalkeeper.
There was something about Barry. He had this burning competitive urge that he always wanted to win and to get that he worked extra hard. He was such a youth who would cry whenever we lost.
Daka rejoined Highlanders in 1966 and at that time we were playing under the Bulawayo African Football Association League, now the Bulawayo Amateur Football Association (Bafa). We played together up to 1968 when abadala (club leaders) decided that we join the Rhodesia National Football League structures starting in Division Two.
Barry was among the cream that went on to play in that division while I remained as goalkeeper of the team that was renamed Matabeleland High City that kept the Bosso franchise in Bafa. The idea was if it did not work out under RFNL, Highlanders would assume its place under Bafa.
I re-united with Barry in 1969 when I was called up to be Ananias Dube’s cover in the first team. Barry was such an instrumental player, playing as inside right or old number eight (midfielder).
In 1970 we got promoted to the elite league. Unfortunately for him or perhaps fortunate, he got a job with Bata in Hwange and had to relocate. He was then released to join Wankie FC featuring in the Castle Cup final in which they beat Arcadia for his first major piece of silverware as a player.
Watching him as an opponent, Barry developed into a fine player, who worked hard and was the creative engine of his new club.
He was now more influential at his club than he was with us as he continued growing in stature to an extent of being among the 11 Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year finalists in 1973.
When he left for Hwange and every time we met he always spoke of his undying love for the club. He was Bosso through and through in his heart.
In 1974 Barry returned to Bulawayo. He came back to Highlanders and I had the opportunity to work with him at Bulawayo City Council’s Housing and Community and Social Services where we were sports officers.
We would together win the regional league in 1974 and 1975. By then we had a very good side with the added strength following the arrival of players like Itai Chieza, Tymon Mabaleka, Chutika Tembo, Bruce Grobbelaar, Stanley Nyika, Isaac Mafaro, Josiah Nxumalo, Cavin Duberley, Boet Van Ays, Martin Kennedy and Nehemiah Dube who were not there when he left in 1970.
He played a significant role in our national league bid in 1976 in which we were robbed of the title. He was a midfield schemer, a versatile and hardworking midfielder who was committed to the game and worked extra hard and wanted everyone else to rise to his levels of fitness. Even after retiring fitness was his hobby.
As fate would have it, Barry left Highlanders again at the end of 1976. Always one to speak loudly about issues of subsistence, he with other players left to form Olympics. He was not happy with the way the club was paying players but of course there were other external influences to the split.
We were friends who had grown up together. Some of us with Josiah Nxumalo could not join them at Olympics as we felt playing for Highlanders was a priceless honour. We stayed behind as Barry went on to start coaching at the new club where some of our teammates like Stanley Nyika, Itai Chieza, Isaac Mafaro and Ananias Dube were part of.
He did well with that club. You will remember that when they changed to Supersonic he guided the team to the Rothmans Shield final in which they beat Caps United.
Following the departure of Bobby Clark which coincided with Ndumiso Gumede’s second spell as chairman, I was appointed manager in 1984 and him coach with Cosmas Zulu as assistant. We struck a good rapport in that we knew each other well from childhood and our playing days.
We as people who had gone through the Youth Club set up believed in younger players and in our term. We were able to get players who had been at Thabiso like Netsai Moyo, Makheyi Nyathi, the Ndlovu brothers joining Ali Dube in the juniors teams with Mercedes Sibanda and Willard Khumalo coming from Mzilikazi.
Youths were our forte and we did well winning the Chibuku Trophy in 1984, BAT Rosebowl in 1985 and a clean sweep in 1986. With players like Madinda Ndlovu, Douglas Mloyi, Fanuel Ncube, Tito Paketh, Willard, Mercedes, Tobias Mudyambanje, Dumisani Nyoni, Alexander Maseko, David Phiri and Mpumelelo Dzowa, Barry had a great side. I would say it was one of the best Highlanders teams ever comparable to the Hit Squad of 1973-1976 which also had class and flair.
We wrote our own piece of history as we won the league and cup double in 1990, the first time Highlanders had done so in its 64 years. Over the years Barry continued to believe in youthful players getting a majority of his players from the juniors’ set up under Ali Dube.
At the end of 1992 I had to leave Highlanders to work in Botswana. At one stage I got an invitation to train as a coach in Brazil. I turned it down and advised the executive to instead send him as he had it all cut out for a career as a coach. I felt comfortable as an administrator and I was happy to see Barry go and learn in Brazil and at his return he turned out to be a national asset.
I was instrumental in getting him to join Mochudi Centre Chiefs of Botswana. After Paul Moyo left Notwane where I was manager, I facilitated for Barry to take over and he would years later in 2007 win the league title with Ecco City of Francistown, a historic moment for Botswana football as Gaborone teams had over the decades dominated the competition.
Barry was a humble lad from childhood. He was straight forward as a colleague and stood his ground on issues to do with remuneration.
He had his life and we enjoyed his company before he changed to Christianity. At his death I consider it tragic that people who commit themselves to a life of football die without benefiting much from it. I saw it with Shadreck Ngwenya and it’s only now that the nation is assisting George Shaya, I feel a lot must be done for our football heroes while they still live.
At least I am happy for Bulawayo City FC who roped him in to be club technical advisor and they are in the right direction as they listened to Barry about investing in junior development. They will someday start reaping rewards for that.
One would expect a club like Highlanders to also consider appointing to the board former footballers so that they give football direction.
Another thing about Barry, he loved his family.
Lala ngoxolo Bhibhiza, football is poorer without you.
– Phiri spoke to Sunday News Correspondent Lovemore Dube.
