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Danisa Masuku
KISDO Matsika was a complete player who could play upfront, middle of the park or in defence. He loved Gweru United and spent most of his elite prime time footballing career turning out for Pisa Pisa as the Midlands outfit were fondly known.
He was born in a family of six — five girls and him being the only boy. Matsika attended St Michaels Primary School from Grade One up to Seven and then proceeded to Holy Cross Secondary School.
He cut his football teeth at Gip Caravan, an outfit that plied its trade in the Gweru Amateur Football Association. He spent two seasons with the outfit in no time another Gafa outfit Dairiboard FC lured him with a job and a good salary.
“There was a double benefit for me at Dairiboard FC, to play soccer and I was offered a job as a sales control officer,” he reminisces.
With an investment mind the then 19-year-old Matsika started to put aside some monies to buy houses. How did the wise idea come about considering that his peers were pursuing flashy life styles trying to keep up with the celebrity lifestyle?
“My father was a former footballer and had plied his trade in Gafa for an outfit called Come Again FC. Sadly he had a low opinion of football and would always tell me that football is a short career that could end at any time. Due to that I had to open a savings account with POSB. I managed to buy a house in Mkoba and later on while I was turning out for Gwelo United I bought two houses and they have become my fall back,” he says.
He has a word of advice to the then Super League players and budding footballers.
“It’s sad to note that most of the former players are leading a sorry life after they gave their all in Zimbabwean soccer. Let me hasten to say nabvu inopera at any time. So it is prudent for one to invest so that when they retire from football one would have something to survive on,” he advises.
The wily striker then joined Pisa Pisa in 1978, made his debut against Hippo Valley FC. That match became his launch pad to the top flight league. He scored four goals and those goals announced his stern presence in the Super League as the Premier League was known then.
“I was thrown upfront and did my best as I scored four goals and that helped me gain confidence and from that time I never looked back as I gave my all for my team,” he reveals.
The outfit was in the safe hands of Chifumbu who was ably assisted by Sam Semwayo. At the time League boasted of strikers with a magical foot like Chita Antonio who turned out for Zimbabwe Saints, Richard Mada, David Mwanza who at one point turned out for Rio Tinto and Gweru United, David Khumalo who played for Wankie (now Hwange) Gift Machona turned out for Bata Power just to mention a few.
One of the matches that is still vivid in his mind is a clash between his side and Caps United at Rufaro Stadium.
“It was my first time to score against Caps United goal minder Brenna ‘Baba Gari’ Msiska I was happy because whenever we played against Caps United I would leave the match with my tail in between my legs as I would have failed to score,” he revealed.
Although Gweru United were a formidable force they failed to land any league title. The players that were part of the squad were Collin Semwayo, Peter Mlauzi, Edwin Chisambi, Knight Mathe, Ashot Mhlanga, Ishmael Mecki, Isaac Tshuma, Roseman Dracko Mangwiro, Ernest Tembo, Thomas Chimpembere, Alexander Hussein. At the time the team was in the safe hands of William Sibanda, Morris Manduna was the team manager while Joel Zowa was the team secretary.
Later on Matsika was switched to link — man position and Wonder Chaka was drafted into the senior team and became the target man for Pisa Pisa.
For those who have forgotten Wonder Chaka is that free — scoring striker who won the Golden Boot award in 1981 after scoring 25 goals. The 1984 season saw the Pisa Pisa outfit reach the second round of the African Cup Winners’ Cup, where they were knocked out by Uganda’s Kampala City Council FC 4-2 on aggregate.
His undoubted heart break was when his side was beaten by Black Rhinos at Gwanzura Stadium.
“We were leading 3-0 in the first stanza but in the second half things changed. What worsened the situation is that our main goalkeeper Nelson Noza got injured towards the end of the first half. He was replaced by Kudakwashe Mecki. Mecki was not equal to the task as a result we were beaten by Chauya Chipembere as Black Rhinos was fondly known. The three goals were mere blunders from Mecki who looked so jittery in that league encounter,” he reveals to Sunday Life Style Sport.
He says his favourite hunting ground was Rufaro stadium but one wonders why not Ascot stadium?
“Although I loved Ascot stadium which was our home ground, my number one stadium was Rufaro Stadium, I loved the electric atmosphere and the big turn of supporters at the iconic stadium,” he reminisces.
Turning to current Premier Soccer League Matsika feels the Premiership players do not play with passion but just play for money.
“Then football was a pastime and we used to work elsewhere to earn a living. We got little monies out of soccer. We played football with passion unlike current soccer players who are mainly driven by money. We only have average players that is why most of them ply their trade in South African Premiership Absa sadly most of them do not last the distance there and there are few who have made it to European league,” he said.
Matsika had to call time to his football career in 1990. After professional soccer he embarked on social soccer playing for teams such as Tonga FC and Zim Alloys as a player-coach playing in defence.
At the time he was working for Dairiboard Zimbabwe specialising in sales control. He retired from Dairiboard in 2008 after spending 31 years.
derick.khumalo