A true servant of the game has fallen

Phillip Zulu in LEEDS, England

IN a way, George Shaya was Dynamos and Dynamos was George Shaya. 

No one, in the history of the local game, has played the role of being the great player, who transformed a fledging club, into a dominant household name, than Shaya. 

He was a true servant of the game and his vintage performances stand as testimony for his greatness. 

He was DeMbare’s greatest son, a total footballer, whose exploits on the pitch sent many of its faithful followers into a frenzy.

To some he was simply King George. 

The one who would deliver that deadly blow, of twisting-and-turning in the box, waltzing and weaving past opponents, to score crucial goals, or provide the killer passes. 

His football pedigree was no fluke. 

Five Soccer Star of the Year awards was reward for a true genius. 

In other African countries, we could liken him to the likes of Roger Milla in Cameroon, Godfrey “Ucar” Chitalu of Zambia, Jomo Sono of South Africa, Lakhadhar Belloumi of Algeria. 

Football represents the passion of many people, whose backgrounds are mired in poverty, deprivation and lower class social status. 

Its appeal resonances with the millions, who easily fall in love, with this sport. 

Shaya served the game with dignity, in his playing days, when football was less rewarding. 

He was never a dirty or emotional player, nor a crude one who would get onto the pitch filled with mission statements of intentions, to harm opponents. 

He was a preacher of the beauty of this game that even the former World Cup winner, Jairzinho of Brazil, once came to Harare, and played as a guest. 

Who will ever forget the bragging rights between Shaya and Jomo Sono at Rufaro and in FNB Stadium in 1976? 

I had the opportunity to watch him at Gwanzura, playing against my local home team Chibuku Shumba, and later Black Aces. 

We would bank on wing wizards like Bernard “Machipisa” Dzingayi and George Kuwana to inflict the same damage Shaya did to Peter Manyara or Fresh Chamarenga. 

Shaya was a master of the close ball control, deft drop shoulder dribbles and quick bursts of explosive speed, in short distances. 

Then, there was the sudden change of direction, to leave defenders sprawling, on the decks. 

That was typical trademark King George, at his best, his brilliance on the pitch was a testament of his calm character. 

Today, we mourn one of the greatest footballers of all-time, a humble servant of the game, who steered DeMbare to great heights. 

I was privileged to watch Shaya’s testimonial match against Mufulira Wanderers of Zambia at Rufaro. 

It was great to watch legendary goalkeeper Ken Mwape, in fine form, as he thwarted many of the attacks, inspired by ‘‘The Mastermind.’’ 

Of course, the Aces bug will never escape me, they are my team and it’s a lifelong bond. 

So, maybe, on this day, it’s also worth remembering the legend we also lost at Shaisa Mufaro. 

The one we believed had the talent, to go toe-to-toe, with Shaya. 

The one who was always smiling. 

His name was Archieford “Chehuchi” Chimutanda. 

He brought a new touch of football intelligence, creativity and genius to our club and sent us into Dreamland. 

We thought we had found our answer to ‘‘The Mastermind’’ and we could hardly wait for the match against the Glamour Boys. 

Of course, there was a full house —George Shaya vs Archieford Chimutanda and, for a fleeting moment, this was football, as it should be played. 

This was the beautiful game, at its very best, and was worth every minute of our patronage. 

Today, I join the DeMbare family, and all the football fans out there, in mourning a rare talent that brought smiles to millions.

It’s unlikely there will ever be another one like George Shaya. 

Yes, he was that special.