adminLovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
IF Zifa had gone ahead with their plans last year to honour 50 most outstanding soccer personalities to mark the association’s 50th anniversary, I have no doubt that Max Tshuma’s name would have come up for consideration.Tshuma who died last Friday evening, was buried at West Park Cemetery where other soccer legends lie. He was 62.
Mercedes Sibanda, Mackenzie Sibanda and the late Adam Ndlovu are the other former greats buried just about a kilometre from Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of football, Barbourfields Stadium.
The little maestro had a glittering career at Zimbabwe Saints which took him to Morokwa Swallows. This was during an era when great talent was abound with clubs like Sables, Callies, Eastland, Highlanders, Mhangura, Dynamos, Zimbabwe Saints, Chibuku and Hwange hogging the limelight.
Across the Limpopo there were teams like Durban Callies, Highlands Park, Hellenics, a rising Kaizer Chiefs and of course great foes Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates. The leagues in the two countries were steeming with very talented footballers who include five-time Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year George Shaya and Jomo Sono who is regarded as the best South African player.
Tshuma was born in Guruve but grew up in Bulawayo and attended Lobengula Primary School and Mzilikazi High School, two schools that have contributed immensely to the development of soccer in this country.
Tshuma started off as a striker and by 1969 he had already caught the attention of Zimbabwean football fans as a star in the Zimbabwe Saints juniors.
Two years later, Tshuma despite his small stature, had clawed his way into the first team.
His crowing moment was when with the likes of Gibson Homela they made a light meal of Highlanders in the 1976 Chibuku Trophy final.
However they could not conquer Dynamos in the Castle Cup final of the same year but a better season lay in store in 1977 when they won their first league title and FA Cup.
The Saints’ good football skills as a result of its midfield which included the late William Sibanda among others, rekindled hopes of many fans from the Southern region who had endured almost a decade of dominance of local football by Northern Region clubs like Dynamos, St Paul’s Musami, Chibuku Shumba, Arcadia, Metal Box and Sables.
Tshuma who was more comfortable as a right attacking link, the old Number Eight (8), was a brilliant ball player, passer and reader of the game.
His ball control and vision complemented that of Sibanda.
He made the likes of Chita Antonio and Gibson Homela glow in attack with his workmanlike approach and ingenuity in the middle of the park.
In 1976 he attracted national team coach Bill Asprey’s attention for the match against South Afrcan Black X1. He was restricted to staying behind at home as a non-travelling substitute.
In 1977 Jack Meagher selected him but he did not travel but a 7-0 drubbing, saw John Rugg take over. Tshuma was included in the starting line up which held South Africa to a draw.
An exemplary player on the field, Tshuma had a shrewd soccer brain and in 1978 he moved to Swallows.
Hitting top form in his mid 20s in the mid 1970s, Tshuma was a cult hero. So many youngsters called themselves “Shaluza” a nickname he got in Johannesburg while playing for the Dube Birds.
In May of 1979, Tshuma and the late Onias Musana moved to Swallows in a transfer that sparked a lot of interest with National Professional Soccer League interim member Silas Ndlovu and the Zifa general-secretary the late Morrison Sifelani at the centre.
Saints officials complained about the poaching bid of their players.
Shaluza returned to the country in November to help Saints in a national play-off match against Caps United.
With Zimbabwe getting its independence in 1980, Tshuma was among the pioneering Warriors helping the country to victory in a four-team tournament.
Zimbabwe beat Zambia 2-1 in the final having beaten Mozambique 6-0 in the semis.
Tshuma continued to shine for Saints and country.
In 1981, Tshuma was banned for life by Zifa for siding with Caps United and Dynamos players who boycotted a league game just before kick off.
It was later lifted but five months down the line in May of 1982 Tshuma was in trouble with his club masters at Zimbabwe Saints.
He was player/team manager then. The club was not happy with comments he had made to younger players following a 0-4 drubbing at the hands of Archer Stars in a Chibuku Trophy first round.
After the lifting of the ban he continued playing for Saints but wound his playing days at Bulawayo Wanderers.
He coached Saints and Railstars at some stage.
Tshuma worked as a senior accounting clerk at the National Railways of Zimbabwe and retired two years ago.
He leaves behind a wife and four children and so many happy memories for soccer fans.
While others are former footballers, Tshuma is in a small group of true football legends who kept fans on the edge of their seats with some good performances for clubs and country.
His humility will be missed and he died among a band of soccer legends frustrated by lack of recognition.
Last year while travelling to Harare, Tshuma confided in me; “Why is it that present day administrators and coaches feel threatened by those who made a name in the game as players?’’
Former players seem not to get the respect and recognition they deserve as newcomers tend to create fiefdoms for themselves and cronies.
It is never too late for Zifa to honour people like the late Mercedes Sibanda, Max Tshuma, Stanley Ndunduma, Shaky Tauro, Joel Shambo, David Mwanza, Posani Sibanda, Adam Ndlovu and Francis Shonhayi.
Lala kuhle Shaluza.
derick.khumalo