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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
ONE of the founding members of the now-defunct Premier Soccer League club Blackpool, Forbes Chitava, has died.
Chitava is reported to have collapsed and died at a hotel in Gaborone, Botswana, on Wednesday night.
According to his long-time friend, Simeon “Buju” Jamanda, it was a sudden death after Chitava collapsed in his hotel room in Gaborone where he had gone for a business trip. He was found dead in his room.
The process to repatriate his body back home to Zimbabwe has begun and some of the family members have been despatched to the neighbouring country to work on the paperwork.
Jamanda said the funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
Chitava and six more members, Ronnie Chihota, Joe “Pajero” Musenda, Ben Muchedzi, the late Joel Salifu, Ginger Chinguwa and the late Lecture Mpange, were part of the original seven members who acquired a Premiership football franchise from the police side Black Mambas and renamed the team it Blackpool.
Gorden Chademunhu later joined as another director of the club. The late Shaw “Ghandi” Mutemajiri was the chief of protocol and Jamanda took over the role following the death of Mutemajiri.
The late Chris Sambo was the club chairman. Blackpool, who were popularly known as “Ndochi”, changed the Zimbabwean football landscape as they were run by professional young directors who sponsored and paid their players handsomely.
Blackpool were the first club from Zimbabwe to reach the semi-finals of the Africa Club Cup Winners Cup competition in 1995. They lost to Algerian side JS Kabylie.
There were under the guidance of Zimbabwean football legends the late Joel “Jubilee” Shambo and Shacky “Mr Goals” Tauro (late).
Some of the players who featured for the flamboyant side are Collins Kabote, Masimba Dinyero, Ernest Chirambadare, Clifton “Somalia” Kadurira, Misheck ”Shava” Mapika, the late Abraham ”Bhabhazi” Chimukango, George Mbwando, Steven Shamuyarira (late) and Vivian Nkomo to mention but just a few.
Musenda yesterday paid tribute to his friend Chitava who he said had become more of a brother to him.
“We started Blackpool together and were the seven of us. We worked together very well and reached the CAF Club Cup Winners Cup semi-finals and lost to Algeria’s JS Kabylie.
“We later sold the franchise to Motor Action. We were like brothers and we shared a bond. I am deeply saddened by his untimely death,” said Musenda.
Jamanda said his friend’s sudden death was a big blow.
“It’s a fatal blow. We have lost one of the people who had football at heart and was not in football to benefit from it. The Blackpool directors were people who had succeeded in business and poured some of those proceeds into football. Their project was successful and one to be cherished in Zimbabwe.
“If we had 20 or so people who had football at heart like this, our football landscape would have changed by now. They sponsored football through sacrifices,” said Jamanda.
Popular football commentator and TV anchor, Charles “CNN” Mabika, said Chitava had a great vision for the country’s football.
“I am shell-shocked by this tragic piece of news. Forbes, like his other six fellow directors at Blackpool, was full of passion, ambition, and vision not only for his team but for the game at large.
“He once revealed to me in an interview years back that one of his dreams was to see the Warriors qualify for the World Cup. He said that could be achieved if all local teams adopted professional and Fair Play ethics.
“I recall how excited he was after ‘Ndochi’ became the first local side to reach the African continental cup semi-final in 1995 when they played Algeria’s JS Kabylie.
“It’s sad that he, like many other former administrators of the sport, had stopped coming to watch the game because of the appalling maladministration practices and endless squabbles both at club and national level. May his dear soul rest in peace,” said Mabika.
Funeral is at number 2 Cherry Tree Avonlea after greencroft shops cherry trree is the next right turn from town direction so its cnr cherry tree and lomagundi.
Online Reporter