Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube
WHEN you grow up with idols in your chosen sport, you are most likely to dream big and want to reach their levels.
“My heroes were Posani Sibanda, Paul Moyo and Fabian Zulu,” says forgotten former Eiffel Flats, Kwekwe United, Hwange and Zimbabwe Saints striker Ignatius Madamombe (46).
Now a fitness guru in the United Kingdom, Madamombe says having the three former footballers as his role models inspired him to take up the game.
Sibanda was outstanding in between the goalposts for Hwange (then Wankie), Chibuku Shumba and Rhodesia in the 1970s. So good was he that he was part of the celebrated Hwange side of the 1970s that was coached by Jack Meagher. He was one of three players to appear in the celebrated Soccer Stars of the Year calendar, other former Hwange greats being Steven Chuma, Barry Daka, Rodrick Simwanza and Amos Rendo.
Moyo played for Hwange among a number of clubs. But it is in coaching where he got Ziscosteel promoted to the Rhodesia National Football League in 1977 and won the Castle Cup in 1978, before taking the coalminers to Africa in 1993 after winning the Castle Cup.
Zulu emerged as one of the best players in the early 1990s getting a call up to the Dream Team when the midfield had so many great talents to be considered with Rahman Gumbo, Willard Khumalo, Isaac Riyano, Paul Gundani, John Phiri, Memory Mucherahowa, Kennedy Nagoli and Benjamin Nkonjera were in the mix.
Born and bred in Madumabisa Village, to some known as Number Two in Hwange, Madamombe followed a great list of players who hailed from the suburb who made a mark in the game.
Hwange greats like Amos and Daniel Rendo, Twyman Ncube, Mwape Sakala, Mindo Nyoni, Isaac Tshuma, Chabuka Mwale, London Khumalo and Alick Nyoni started their football journeys at Madumabisa playing in the coal dust patches. From street football Sir Humphrey Gibbs became the next ladder for generations and Madamombe soon found himself travelling in Colliery buses to St George’s, St Ignatius, Lwendulu, Mabinga and Makwika, Hwange’s primary schools which for decades were the nurseries of talent.
Founders High School in Bulawayo was to be his next destination and he continued playing football as a striker.
“I was spotted by Mukoma Juju real name Lazarus Zimangi while playing for Founders High School and he brought me to Zimbabwe Saints juniors. I would play for Saints juniors during the school term and Project FC in the Hwange Amateur Football Association during the holidays,” said Madamombe.
After writing his O-levels in 1992, Madamombe joined a club he enjoyed watching fortnightly before his move to Founders, Wankie FC under Paul Moyo in 1993.
“I played the last eight games of the season with my first game against Zimbabwe Saints at Barbourfields. It was a nerve breaking encounter which we narrowly lost 1-0. Those eight game were good enough for me to be called up to the Zimbabwe national Under-20 team,” said Madamombe.
His teammates at that Hwange side included Fabian Zulu, David Phiri, Chingumbe Masuku, Antony Nakamba, Johannes Tshuma, Misheck Sibanda, Vitalis Kamocha, Kenneth Ngulube, Chabuka Mwale and Dumisani Mafikeni.
He speaks highly of his time at Zimbabwe Saints juniors when there were players like Matambanashe Sibanda, Mlungisi Ndebele and Lloyd Jowa.
“Agent Sawu was the main man for the first team at the time. Saints were a well sponsored side that had everything about football development,” said Madamombe.
With the Madamombes moving to Chegutu, the nomadic striker soon found himself in the books of Eiffel Flats.
“My parents moved to Chegutu in 1995 so I also had to leave Hwange and I joined Eiffel Flats where I played with Uyera Mkorongo, Boniface Chiseko and Sherperd Muradzikwa. They were a poorly organised side and I played there for a season,” said Madamombe, who made his debut at the tender age of 18 when coaches still had guts to give teenagers their professional league breaks.
Never short of takers, in 1996 Madamombe was taken on board by legendary Rio Tinto and Zimbabwe left wing star Joseph Zulu to Kwekwe City.
“It was a well-run club and I played with Silver Bhebhe, Arnold Jani and Clifford Makiyi until 2001 when I left for the United Kingdom,” said Madamombe.
Coincidentally, Bhebhe went on to make a name for himself and got Warriors recognition at Eiffel Flats while Makiyi rose to be a trusted midfield kingpin at Chipangano, both clubs Madamombe played for.
Madamombe now lives in the UK and is still keen on Zimbabwean football. He has ties with a Central Region Division One side Ivan Hoe owned by a friend of his and believes younger players are the future of the game.
In the UK he works quite a lot with a big pool of youngsters at his gym and is confident that some of them will be stars.
He is encouraging coaches to invest in young players as they are the business end of their employment.
Madamombe like most of the yesteryear lot, believes today’s game lacks charismatic individuals to be role models of kids in the streets.
Online Reporter