Online Reporter
HIGHLANDERS’ history has so many interesting chapters for one to write. Among the most topical are the centre-backs who have defended the badge to the last second of the game almost breaking limbs for the good feeling of the supporters when they walk home.
There have been some very exciting names that have played centre-back and made a mouthful of an impression. Players that have played themselves to legendary status defending the black and white army, guiding it to over 60 pieces of silverware.
As part of the Highlanders 100 Years Celebrations, this weekend Sunday Leisure looks at some of the players who set the stage alight in domestic football in the heart of the club’s defence.
Players who made sure many a great striker like Chita Antonio, Tauya Murewa, Sandras Kumwenda, Wonder Chisetera, Wonder Chaka and the late Shaky Tauro, Onias Musana, Rahman Gumbo, Ernest Kamba, Rodrick Simwanza, Barton Mwalukuka and David Mwanza were kept at bay.
You had to be a special player to contain some of these big name strikers of the past.
In the 1970s several names came to the fore led by the towering James Nxumalo a former national team player who was part of the Rhodesia squad for the 1970 World Cup qualifiers. He was big and intimidating and did well for the club in its maiden season of glory the 1973 Chibuku Trophy which ushered in a new football giant in the game.
There was Zenzo Dabengwa, not so big a player for the centre-back position but he had the heart for the big match and was a key figure in defence where he played with another tough as tick defender Boet Van Ays.
Van Ays and Cavin Duberley were among the first non-Black stars in the advent of multi-racial football in the country and brought a cosmopolitan touch to the team’s followers and were followed at Highlanders by Bruce Grobbelaar who went to being the greatest player at world stage to have donned the Bosso jersey.
With Boet Van Ays and James retiring in the mid-1970s, Lawrence Phiri, literally the club’s Mr Fixit as he was made to play all positions from goalkeeper to striker, became a key figure at the heart of defence and partnered a young Douglas Mloyi.
Mloyi came through the club’s junior policy along another centre-back who shone like a beacon in a short career brought to an end in 1982 through injury, Ephraim “Moyo” Moloi.
Moloi would leave Highlanders for the breakaway Olympics and later turn out for the 1977 league champions Zimbabwe Saints before settling at Zisco the following year where he won the Chibuku
Trophy final, the only elite division crown won by the steelmakers.
Moloi played for the Warriors in 1980-81 in a very competitive era of centrebacks in the country in which John Rugg, Sherperd Murape had at their disposal Mloyi, Sunday Chidzambwa, Majid
Dhana, Doorman Moodley, Ephert Lungu, Joshua Phiri, Steven Chuma, Charles Sibanda and Misheck Chidzambwa.
After independence a number of centre-backs came to the fore to partner Mloyi, among them
Lawrence Ndlovu, Shakespeare Mabika and Macdonald Silongwe.
But two stood out, Richard Ndlovu and Alexander Maseko, the architects of many of the club’s silverware triumphs of the 1984-1990 era.
But perhaps the best partnerships in that era were Mloyi and Richard, two towering figures who made life difficult for opponents, but one featuring Mloyi and Maseko just took the stuffing out of the competition of the times.
Both were good in the air and ground, hard and firm on the tackle with Maseko coming in with some very good reading of the game and supreme confidence in one-on-one situations and starting build ups from his own box with a customary dribble.
With Mloyi retiring, Barry Daka and Cosmas Zulu turned to former Warriors cap, Simon Ncube from Eagles in 1988.
He was just the kind that the doctor seemed to have prescribed as medicine as he fitted well into the
Highlanders system leading the club to several tournament wins in 1988.
In 1989 with Maseko in Harare, Rahman Gumbo at times played at centre-back, Cleopas Dlodlo arrived and became a key figure at Bosso. His combination with returning Maseko in 1990 saw
Bosso win the league and cup double in an era the likes of Max Makanza, Garikayi Zuze, Antony
“Bongo” Sibanda, George Nechironga, Never Chiku, Maronga Nyangela, Jerry Chidawa and Claudius Zviripayi were a feared a lot.
Another centreback emerged in the early 1990s, a young intelligent guy from Magwegwe Sikhumbuzo Ndebele. He fitted well into Roy Barreto’s side at a time Dlodlo and Itai Godzamapere were in the fix with Amin Soma-Phiri at times called in to assist at centre-back.
Lenny Gwata played in the position but was a short defender for the centre until Captain Thulani Ncube emerged with Dazzy Kapenya as the best centre-back partnership in a while. Both were skilful and intelligent, clean tacklers with decent pace.
They read the game well, knew when to buy time for others to track back and when to make a decisive tackle and carry the day for the club.
In terms of success they rate probably the most successful having won four championships on the track and second to the multi-medal one that had Maseko and Mloyi. Willard Khumalo was also played at the centre at times.
Bekithemba Ndlovu too had his time and there were other players like Bekithemba Nkiwane and Sifiso Nketa who did not stay long enough to stamp their authority.
Gilbert Banda and Innocent Mapuranga stand out as having been outstanding too.
Banda came through the club’s junior ranks even rose to captain, clinching the 2006 league championship.
Mapuranga was pulled out of retirement by Madinda Ndlovu who had met him at a coaching clinic and felt the lad still had something to give back to the game.
The now a mechanic and pastor Mapuranga, did not disappoint as his performances won him national team caps and an appearance among the Soccer Star of the Year finalists.
Like Mapuranga and Simon Ncube, Felix “Basic’s Finest” Chindungwe arrived at Bosso at an age many coaches would not sign them, but went on to shine for Amahlolanyama.
Without some of these centre-backs Bosso would not have scaled dizzy heights and become a household name.
