Chronicle Editor
BIG and imposing in between the goalposts, good in aerial balls and in organising the defence Peter Nkomo’s reign as Highlanders’ first choice goalkeeper appeared over when Joseph Tembo arrived in 1984.
By the end of the year Tembo was getting game time and for most of 1985 literally the first choice goalkeeper. His arrival may have been a wake up call for Nkomo who would pick up his game and lead the club to memorable conquests in 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1993 as the team’s unchallenged number one.
Tembo endeared himself to the Highlanders faithfuls before arriving. He had come to Bulawayo three times with Rio Dairibord. In one of the matches against Zimbabwe Saints he played extremely well so much that at the end of the match Highlanders fans feted him with money.
“We played a couple of times in Bulawayo and against Zimbabwe Saints I was on top of my game and at the end of the match fans were saying if not for me the scoreline would have been too high. We must have lost 2-0,” said Tembo.
He said he joined Highlanders in 1984 after being persuaded by Bosso management and for him the loan transfer was a dream come true.
“Growing up in Chitungwiza I supported Dynamos and Highlanders were my second team. I watched players like Boet van Ays, Tymon Mabaleka, Douglas Mloyi, Itai Chieza and Doughty Sithole. I watched the 1980 Chibuku Trophy Cup final when they beat Rio Tinto 4-0 at Rufaro Stadium. Every time they came to play any other team which was not Dynamos I supported Highlanders,” said Tembo from his Chitungwiza home on Friday.
He was in goal when Highlanders beat Dynamos in the 1985 BAT Rosebowl Trophy and also remembers his howler against Arcadia in the Chibuku Trophy Cup final of the same year. It was one of the two incidents that people still talk about, the other being the Nsukamini Mlotshwa miss in front of goal.
“Mike Abrahams sent a seemingly harmless cross towards goal. I went up for the ball and Richard Manda elbowed me slightly, since I was airbone already after his touch on me the ball flew past into the nets and that goal cost us the trophy. Because I had had many Man of the Match awards in the runner up to that cup final, my teammates understood the problem and comforted me afterwards. It was a silly goal to let in, such happens in football,” said the man Bosso fans affectionately called Masawa.
He said the fans gave him that name because he was coming from Rio Dairibord. Dairibord is the country’s milk processing firm.
Highlanders finished second in the league that year.
Tembo did not stay for the 1986 season in which Bosso swept all silverware because of a contractual glitch. His loan period was up, he wanted to stay but his parent club Rio Dairibord insisted that he returned to his club.
He said competition at the club was very high which was good for the club and it did not come as a surprise when they won all silverware in 1986.
He said he also enjoyed his social life in Bulawayo where he first stayed at Hotel Carlifonia (Highlanders camping house in Luveve 4), moved to Lobengula West, Gwabalanda and Magwegwe North Flats.
He described his stay in Bulawayo as one of the best days of his life.
“It was great competition at Highlanders. We had four goalkeepers, Peter Nkomo, David (CB) Mahlangu, Sydney Zimunya and myself. We had a great side with Fanuel Ncube and a young Mercedes Sibanda on the right, Dumisani Nyoni on the left, at the heart of defence there was Alexander Maseko and Richard Ndlovu and at times Douglas Mloyi who was now getting competition from these two younger defenders. In midfield there was Willard Khumalo, Titus Majola and Tito Paketh and Madinda on the right wing. We had on the left Morgan Phiri and at times ‘Zico’ that is Nhamo Shambira with Bigboy Ndlovu at the centre and at times ‘Dry’ Dumisani Ngulube.
“Off the pitch we drank with guys like Willard Khumalo, Mercedes, Nhamo Shambira and Douglas Mloyi. We drank in town or when we dispersed we drank at shebeens closer to our homes. Bulawayo was nice, I had a great time there at Highlanders where it was like a dream come true to eventually play under a very good coach who was a good personality in Barry Daka. I admired his playing while I was growing up. To eventually play under him and alongside players like Douglas Mloyi who I had watched from childhood was something else,” said Tembo.
In 1985 Tembo got a Warriors call-up to compete with Japhet Mparutsa and could not dislodge him.
Tembo was born in Kadoma on 13 April 1962 and moved to Kamativi in his infancy.
It is where he began his football journey playing street football with other young boys. He attended St Theresa Primary School up to Grade Three before his family moved to Chivhu and would eventually finish his primary education at Farai Primary School in Chitungwiza.
“I do not remember many guys from that era from Chitungwiza but I recall we had Abraham Madondo at school and we would later play together at Highlanders,” said Tembo.
From Farai Primary School, in 1976 Tembo learnt at Murewa Mission where he became the first choice school team goalkeeper while in Form One.
He paid tribute to Alois Jani a teacher at Farai and elder brother Providence Moffat Zhuwaki.
“He used to take me to matches at stadia like Gwanzura and Rufaro Stadium where I saw the likes of William Sibanda, Shaw Handriade, Ernest Kamba, George Shaya, Tymon Mabaleka, Barry Daka, Matthew Mwale, Max Tshuma, Majuta Mpofu, Posani Sibanda all the big players of yesteryear,” said Tembo.
After school Tembo joined a lower division side Mellowood Tigers and later Sminnorf Tigers who were in the Zifa Northern Region.
A mass exodus through retirements and at Dynamos in the beginning of 1983 opened avenues for Tembo and Kenneth Jere.
“We were recruited from Tigers and arrived at the same time with Moses Chunga who was at Lyton Wolves. Hardly had I settled that I sustained a broken leg and stayed the whole year out of action. When Trevor Carelse-Juul quit as Dynamos coach to form Rio Dairibord in 1984 I was among his players but did not stay long before Bosso captured me,” said Tembo.
After leaving Highlanders in 1986, Tembo joined Cone Textiles but broke his leg the following year. He played up to 1988 before moving to LCS Gunners on Botswana where he played up to 1991 when he hung his gloves to then work in the informal sector.
He is married with four children, two of whom played lower division and university football.
Tembo said during his time there were many strikers of repute who would keep goalkeepers busy all afternoon like Shaky Tauro, Wonder Chaka, Charles Chirwa and Gift Mpariwa. He said there were supply lines that ensured defenders and goalkeepers did not dose off during matches unlike nowadays when there is reduced goalmouth action.
He coached lower division football teams including University of Zimbabwe and is now living in Chitungwiza with his family, proud of the effort and achievements from the great game.
Bongani Ndlovu