Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
ADAM Maseko, a former great goalkeeping talent at Zimbabwe Saints who died in Bulawayo on Friday morning at the age of 74, was buried at Umvutshwa Cemetery in Bulawayo yesterday morning.
Unknown to the greater football family, just a stone’s throw from Barbourfields Stadium where a memorial service was held for Highlanders’ Kenneth Mhlophe, Fiso Siziba, Nkani Khoza and Mbalenhle Sibanda, the Masekos gathered quietly to bid farewell to the former national team goalie.
Florence Maseko, his younger sister, confirmed that the former lanky goalkeeper had died at his Mzilikazi L Square home on Friday in a sudden death incident. A friend found him sprawled on the floor and advised neighbours before police could be called.
“My brother refused to go with his friend to Manwele (Beer Garden), where he usually spent most of his time on
Friday morning, instead requesting that he be picked up later. When the friend returned, he found Maseko lying on the floor, lifeless and advised neighbours of the predicament,” said Gumede.
Maseko played alongside William Sibanda, Max Tshuma, Ebson Muguyo, Francis Ngara, Simon Supiya, his brother-in-law, Emmanuel Sibanda, Moses ‘Madalaboy’ Moyo and Aleck Mwanza.
Among his most outstanding feats was being part of the Rhodesia team that fell at the last hurdle of the 1970 World
Cup finals. The national team lost to Australia.
Maseko was just 17 and had found himself rubbing shoulders with legends like Sherperd Murape, Shadreck
Ngwenya, Philemon Tigere, Bobby Chalmers, Isaac Chieza, Itai Chieza and James Nxumalo.
At Chikwata, his crowning moment was winning the BAT Rosebowl in 1974 for the club’s first triumph at national level.
He left the club a year later for Kadoma, where he got a job and coached football at David Whitehead as a part-timer, and at the beginning of 1978 he was invited by Kambasha Brothers (KB) Rockets of Kwekwe but was recalled back by his Mashonaland West side.
A road traffic accident claimed one of his legs and at 26 his career was over.
That forced him to return to Bulawayo.
Legends Gibson Homela, Godfrey Paradza, and Ebson ‘Sugar’ Muguyo attended the funeral.
Homela described Maseko as a dependable goalkeeper.
“Many thought I was a striker when I would overlap as a defender and score many goals because he was reliable,” said Homela.
Maseko was born at Mpilo Central Hospital on April 11, 1952 and grew up in Mzilikazi. He was a member of the Kwanongoma Boys Club and like most boys of his era, football in the streets was his favourite pastime. Maseko’s peers, teammates and opponents were boys from Mzilikazi as they tended to group themselves according to the sections of the suburb they hailed from.
He grew up alongside Tommy Masuku, Benjamin Mpofu, Chris Bhaa, Richard Mbence, Philemon Dangarembwa, Zebron Magorimbo and Stanford Jemwa.
He attended Mzilikazi Primary School and played as a striker for the school team.
For his secondary school, he proceeded to Mzilikazi High School, where he was for his Rhodesia Junior Certificate from 1967 to 1968. He continued to play as a striker at school and in a January 14, 2023 interview, he narrated how
he switched to being a goalkeeper.
By then he was already playing for Mashonaland United Under-18s with the likes of Max Tshuma and Zebron Magorimbo.
“In 1968 I was at the senior team’s training sessions as usual, where I would stand behind the goalkeeper Eddie Frano. If he failed to catch the ball, I would be behind him and it would appear coach Paul Kruger was taking note of my abilities. I was a striker at school and in the juniors and he threw me into action in one of the sessions and the rest became history,” said Maseko at the time.
In no time, a teenage sensation had been born in national football and at 17, he found himself getting a national team call-up.
“It was an honour being called up for the national team that faced Australia for the 1970 World Cup finals qualifiers in 1969. I was the only black goalkeeper in contention with Rex Sheaby from Salisbury Sables, Rob Jordan from
Callies and Stewart Gilbert from Arcadia. Jordan and Sheasby made the cut and I contend that they were the best. I am happy and honoured to have been among those great players. For the trials I went with my clubmates Gibson
Homela and William Sibanda,” said Maseko, who was promoted in 1968 and made his debut in a 2-1 victory over city neighbours Eastlands.
He would, however, get his turn in national colours when he guarded the goalposts against visiting Kilmarnock from the United Kingdom in 1972.
Maseko played for Rhodesia with the likes of Homela, Stephen Chimedza, Peter Nyama, Chris Mhlanga, William Sibanda and George Shaya in the match that was drawn at Bulawayo’s Callies Stadium, now the Bulawayo Chiefs Stadium.
