Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FOR more than two decades, Mkhokheli Dube has graced the football landscape, keeping his cool while strutting his stuff on and off the field.
Starting off playing football in the streets of one of Bulawayo’s oldest high-density suburbs, Tshabalala, “the beautiful game” has taken Dube beyond the borders of Zimbabwe.
Nicknamed “Mshoza” by his Zimbabwean peers, Dube started his career at Highlanders before moving to the United States of America on a football scholarship where he was “christened” Kheli. He featured for American Major League Soccer (MLS) side New England Revolution between 2008 and 2011 before returning to Africa to play in the South African Premiership for AmaZulu in 2012.
His stay in South Africa was short-lived as he returned home to join Chicken Inn in 2013 until the mid-2015 season after helping the Gamecocks lay the foundation for their only Premier Soccer League (PSL) title. Dube played the remainder of 2015 season for Bulawayo City, helping the municipal side gain promotion to the topflight.
His exploits charmed FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza, who lured him to Zvishavane at the beginning of 2016. He won two Castle Lager Premiership championships medals with FC Platinum in addition to the PSL titles he won with Bosso in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
After the 2019 title with FC Platinum, Dube retraced his footsteps to his childhood club Highlanders where he only played the Castle Challenge Cup against the platinum miners in March 2020 before Covid-19 struck.
On Thursday, Dube posted all the medals he won in his 22-year-old career, accompanied by the caption: “It’s been an amazing journey and I’m grateful for the blessings.”
The post on social media drew lots of positive comments, with most thanking the forward for the good memories he shared with them.
Some of the accolades in Dube’s cabinet are the Zifa Cup 2000 and the 2002 Independence Cup winners’ medal with Highlanders as well as the 2001 and 2002 Vodacom Under-20 (now known as Cosafa Under-20) medals that he won as part of the Zimbabwe Under-20 squad.
He also paraded his 2005 NAIA Champions (Lindsey Wilson), 2006 PDL Champion (Michigan Bucks), 2008 Superliga Cup Winner (New England Revolution) and the 2013 NetOne Charity Shield winners’ medal.
For a player that turns 38 years old in June, the post might have been interpreted as a teaser by the veteran striker to announce his retirement.
After Dube’s age-mate Clemence Matawu decided to quit playing and assume an administrative role at Chicken Inn, one can be forgiven to conclude that the striker is also thinking along those lines.
“Ah, No ways,” responded Dube when asked if he’s quitting the game that gave him fame and fortune.
“I’m still around. I feel my legs can carry me for a year or two”.
The striker appeared destined to retire at his boyhood club but he is yet to make a decision on his next step following the expiry of his contract with Bosso.
“I’m in no rush to make any decision. I’m weighing options. Presently, I’m training alone and this is what I’ve been doing since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown last year,” Dube said.
The player also appears to have laid a foundation for his life after playing, acquiring coaching badges that include a Brazilian Soccer Institute (BFUT) coaching certificate, Caf C Licence and a Zifa Level 3 coaching certificate.
In 2016, he formed a developmental side known as Zebra Revolution in Tshabalala and registered it with the Zifa Bulawayo Province Junior League. — @ZililoR
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