Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube
A former Highlanders FC player was among five players suggested for the first Zimbabwe senior national football team captaincy at Independence.
Yet he remains one of the least celebrated figures ever to don the 95-year-old club’s strip.
Better known as Ephraim Moloi or Kid but born Ephraim Moyo at Mpilo Hospital on 24 October 1954, was with Sunday Chidzambwa, Charles Sibanda and Ephert Lungu the front runners for the captaincy under John Rugg in April of 1980 when Zimbabwe hosted a four-team tournament to celebrate a young nation.
“It was an honour to have the national coach earmarking me for the role and also just being part of the squad initially called to camp for that was big for me. It is something I have lived with and I celebrate,” said Moloi.
Moloi was a 26-year-old versatile defender who was part of the Ziscosteel side coached by Paul Moyo. He was a respected footballer who had played at leftback, rightback, defensive link and central defender and had gone through the mill having started his football journey in 1968 with the Highlanders juniors.
His association with the national team had started in 1977 when he was called up for the match against South Africa drawn 1-1 at home where he sat it out on the bench.
He remained in the framework in 1978 and 1979 as he was ever involved in the Probables and Rhodesia B partnering the legendary Sunday Chidzambwa.
“I expected to be called up when we eventually get our freedom and I was not surprised because I had been part of the team with John Rugg however, having this view that I was a tsotsi. Such was our relationship and this even affected a possible move to his Rio Tinto in 1978 where I eventually landed at Zisco,” said Moloi.
Of the guys in the running for the 1980 first national team captaincy he sang their praises saying they were all good and deserved it.
“They were exceptional players on the field and good leaders,” said Moloi who was among a group of players who included Frank Mkanga,
Raphael Phiri, Wonder Phiri, David Chisambi, Misheck Chidzambwa, Oliver Kateya, Onias Musana, David Muchineripi and Max Tshuma called up for the first senior national team.
He was on the bench in the match against Mozambique won 6-0 to book a final berth with Zambia.
He would eventually make his debut months later starting at leftback following the injury of Oliver Kateya and had Graham Boyle, Sunday and Ephert in defence with Tymon Mabaleka and Rodrick Simwanza part of the team in Zambia.
“We were awash with talent. You had to be cream to be part of the national team where merit was the yardstick in team selection,” said the former Highlanders star who also played for Olympics and Zimbabwe Saints.
His association with the national team would last up to 1981 and he was forced out of the game by demanding shiftwork.
“I did a plant operator’s course and on graduating we were doing 12-hour shifts on a daily basis as there was a shortage of manpower with a number of white technicians having left the company after Independence. It was said that I could not continue with the game,” he said.
He retired from Zisco in 2013 having risen to the post of casting manager and is now resident in Mzilikazi’s “Q” Square where he grew up.
His peers from infancy in life and game were Ananias Dube the Chibuku Trophy winning goalkeeper of 1973, Benjie Mpofu (Highlanders), Patson Ncube (Wankie) and Zebroan Magorimbo all of whom were from “Q” Square.
Within that section of Mzilikazi there was former Highlanders stalwart Edward “Magungubala” Dlamini who was much older.
Moloi started off as a goalkeeper at Mzilikazi Primary School where he was with the Tots with Victor Dliwayo another top goalminder to emerge from Bulawayo the trusted pair of hands in the Juniors’ team. When he outgrew tots, Moloi was left with no choice but to leave the sticks for an inside position starting off as a defender, a position that he would take to the Highlanders juniors then under Washington “Twist Him Two Inches” Mpofu.
“Victor was exceptional, when I arrived in the juniors I found him there but I still wanted to play football so I opted to play inside where with time different coaches would play me anywhere in defence,” said Moloi.
His coach at Mzilikazi Primary School was a Mr Mboyeni and at Mzilikazi High School it was a Mr Sibanda who lived at Thokozani Flats.
Schools they played with were Mpopoma and Founders High School and his teammate at Bosso Willie Luphahla who passed on last year was in the Mgandane team too.
“The big teams all had juniors so we played Eastlands, Bulawayo Wanderers, Mashonaland United Juniors, even when we moved to the reserves in 1973, we curtain raised on a home and away. It was very organised back then with a Reserve League that allowed new arrivals from juniors, other clubs and those recovering to play very competitive games and be assessed for promotion.
In actual fact stadia opened at 10am with Under-16s, 18s and reserves playing the juniors of the team facing Bosso,” said Kid.
His first taste of silverware was an Under-14s medal after they beat Mashonaland United fronted by Isaac Banda and Max Tshuma. The Gods would smile at him in 1975.
Lawrence Phiri got injured ahead of a double fixture in the Rhodes and Founders Holidays weekend and Moloi was thrust at rightback. He was in the team that beat Eastlands 6-1 and travelled away for the 2-0 win over Hippo Valley.
“I would like to think I did well. In the second game shivers ran down my spine as Hippo Valley had a striker who was feared nationwide in Togo Nazare but I shut him out,” said Moloi.
But the big test awaited him.
Lawrence was back at training having recovered. I went to train with the reserves.
But on Thursday, the last day of training I was summoned to the first team.
“Boet Van Ays who doubled as a coach apart from partnering Zenzo Dabengwa, clashed with Silas Ndlovu.”
Ndlovu was the manager, British style and had returned a few weeks ago from the UK where he had attained his FA badges with Morrison Sifelani.
“Ndlovu would stop play from the touchline and demonstrate an idea and this seemed to infuriate Van Ays who left in a huff on a Wednesday angry with Ndlovu. Saw Ndlovu put me on leftback, Peter Zimuto moved to the centre to partner Zenzo, later Chutika Tembo as tried at centreback, but after another 10 minutes I was asked to partner Zenzo. As they say the rest is history,” said Moloi.
When the 13 to meet Mashonaland United later to change to Zimbabwe Saints, Moloi’s name was called.
They met on Saturday and camped at the Southern Sun Hotel now the Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo.
He used to room with Ananias Dube and they got a visitor who was Tymon Mabaleka. Mabaleka was in the company of Lawrence and Josiah Nxumalo.
Mabaleka told them that Chita Antonio one of the feared strikers in the league had predicted a hattrick for himself.
“He was big news in the Chronicle Sports Extra on Saturday. I thought the treat was being made to Ananias yet the focus was on me as I would later realise as the following morning after breakfast which I failed to eat, Silas asked me to drive to Mzilikazi with him to pump the balls. He psyched me up and told me that he was confident about the task ahead that I would be equal to it,” said Kid.
Back in the day players wore jersey numbers of positions they would play. So Moloi donned Number 5 and fans were shocked to see a young player in a debut with lots at stake.
There was commotion on the Highlanders bench with fans leaning over to ask why Kid was in the starting line up.
Silas moved to where Moloi was and exchanged passes with him at the same time telling him that he was confident he would deliver.
Dakamela a supporter whose antics included somersaulting as Amahlolanyama warmed up beating drums to get fans in the grill, also came to Moloi with words of encouragement.
Highlanders won 2-1 with Francis Ngara scoring the consolation goal.
“When the match ended I must have blanked out at some stage as fans swarmed the pitch, I remember coming to while back at the hotel. Everyone was happy about my game and I became a regular.
“We toured South Africa losing 1-0 to Kaizer Chiefs and drawing 2-2 with Orlando Pirates where I faced Ace Ntsolonge, Teenage Dladla, Jomo Sono, Computer Lamola and Ryder Mofokeng. I was there throughout 1976 when we were cheated in the championship leading to the formation of the South Zone Soccer League,” said Moloi.
The Bosso X1 had players like Ananias, Nobert, Van Ays, Zenzo, Lawrence, Itai, Tymon, Nxumalo and Isaac Mafaro.
He won one regional league title with Highlanders and was runner up in the disputed 1976 championship.
When there was a split to form Olympics, Moloi stayed with the club in the South Zone League.
Not happy with playing his first three matches at venues that included schools like in Plumtree, Moloi followed his former teammates at Olympics.
By May of 1977 he was frustrated that things were not working out for Olympics and Saints were his next side.
He won big at Chikwata, the Castle Cup and league title with the likes of William Sibanda, Philemon Dangarembwa, Emmanuel Sibanda his defence partner, Sugar Muguyo, Andrew Kadengu, Douglas Maneto and Gibson Homela.
In 1978 after a move to Germiston Callies failed after his mother threatened to kill herself following the arrest of his brother for political activity, Moloi answered a call by his friend to come to move to Redcliff where he joined Ziscosteel.
Another major trophy was added to his cabinet – the 1978 Castle Cup.
Paul Moyo played him at leftback as he confided in Moloi that he would not tinker with his trusted centreback partnership of Clement Sibanda and Henry Mwase.
Moloi who retired from the game in 1982 as a player bounced back as a coach in 1994, in charge of Zisco up to 1994, finds the lustre of old missing in today’s game.
Among notable centrebacks to play for Highlanders is Alexander Maseko, James Nxumalo, Douglas Mloyi, Richard Ndlovu, Simon Ncube, Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, Cleopas Dlodlo, Thulani Ncube, Dazzy Kapenya, Gilbert Banda and Danisa Phiri.
“Kungibulala amehlo (it’s an eyesore),” it’s all he can say about the game in recent years and has stopped going to watch.
The football legend is now a Ministerial Assistant at the family church, Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter