Is he the next Radebe?

The 20-year-old Zimbabwe international, whose stock is rising rapidly, is dreaming big and wants to reach the lofty heights of success scaled by former Bafana Bafana skipper, Radebe.
Zvasiya has inherited Radebe’s old Number 19 jersey at Kaizer Chiefs and, just like his hero, plays in the same central defensive position that was patrolled by the Bafana Bafana legend during his days at the Amakhosi.

Tall and elegant, Zvasiya has the height and playing style of Radebe and the Zimbabwe international believes he can match the South African hero in terms of career achievements and a dance on the grand stage of the World Cup.
He is featured on the cover of the latest Amakhosi magazine.
Nicknamed “Harare” by the Amakhosi fans, Zvasiya is one of the half dozen Zimbabweans plying their trade at Kaizer Chiefs and joined the Amakhosi in August last year.

The Soweto giants already have the long-serving Tinashe Nengomasha, Zhaimu Jambo, Thomas Sweswe, Willard Katsande and new recruit Abbas Amidu, on their books.
Zvasiya was handed his debut by coach Vladimir Vermezovic in December against Mamelodi Sundowns, marshalling the defence alongside Sweswe, in a game the Amakhosi won 1-0 with Sweswe scoring the priceless goal.
In only his second league appearance, Zvasiya scored what ultimately proved the winning goal as Chiefs came from behind to beat Free State Stars 2-1 at the FNB Stadium.

But Zvasiya, who is still settling in the South African Premiership, now wants more and is shaping his career in the mould of Radebe and wants to win a lot of trophies for the Amakhosi before moving to Europe.
“Bra Rich (Richard Langa) and Tinashe (Nengomasha) told me that the Number 19 jersey was used by Lucas Radebe,” Zvasiya told the official Amakhosi magazine.
“I feel honoured to be using the same number as him (Radebe).

“I would like to follow in his footsteps and win things with the club and become a legend here.”
Radebe is indeed a legend at the Amakhosi.
He arrived at the club in 1989 and made 113 appearances for Chiefs and scored five goals.

Interestingly, Radebe was initially signed by Chiefs as a midfielder and Zvasiya, in his previous spells at local clubs, used to play as a defensive midfielder.
In 1991, Radebe was shot at while driving in South Africa, in an incident the legendary defender believes was meant to scare him from leaving Chiefs and, although he escaped unhurt, the urge to leave the club intensified.
Three years later, Radebe was gone, signing for English Premiership side Leeds United.

He made 200 appearances for Leeds United, during a time when the club dined and wined with the best in England and in Europe, and was captain in the 1998/1999 and the 1999/2000 season.
With Radebe skippering their ship, Leeds United finished fourth in the ’98/’99 season in the English Premiership and qualified for the old Uefa Cup.
A better show, the following season, saw Leeds United finish third in the Premiership and qualified for the Champions League where they reached the semi-finals under manager David O’Leary.

Radebe was making a huge impact and soon, Manchester United and Italian giants AC Milan, came knocking on the door trying to lure him from Leeds United.
But Radebe declined the offers, arguing that he was emotionally attached to the Leeds United fans, and leaving the club would be tantamount to a betrayal of the same supporters.
He stayed and, at the end of the 2005 season, after 11 years at Elland Road, Radebe left Leeds United.

Along the way he won the Nations Cup with South Africa in 1996 on home soil and captained Bafana Bafana at the 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals.
A testimonial held by Leeds United in honour of Radebe on May 2, 2005, at Elland Road, drew a crowd of 37 886 fans and a galaxy of professional footballers.
In sharp, contrast, Zvasiya is still starting his journey. A product of the Aces Youth Academy credited with developing the careers of Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat and Amidu, Zvasiya has already been picked as the long-term replacement of Method Mwanjali in the Warriors’ central defence.

Although he is dreaming very big, Zvasiya knows there is still a lot of ground to be covered.
“I want to continue working hard. I am here in South Africa today because I work hard,” he told the Amakhosi magazine.

“There are no short-cuts in football, the same as in life.”
He should know.
Having played for the Zimbabwe Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 national teams, before his promotion into the Warriors, Zvasiya has seen it all – the highs and lows of life as a footballer.

Last year he was certain that the Young Warriors, whom he was anchoring at the back, would qualify for the All-Africa Games but they fell at the last hurdle to South Africa.
He found himself at FC Platinum but he did not stay long before he was given an exit route to the riches, abundant in the professional football beyond our borders, when he was snatched by Chiefs.

Zvasiya does not feature among those who have been blacklisted by Zifa from playing for the Warriors until their pending cases, related to the parts they allegedly played in the Asiagate match-fixing scandals, have been determined. That means the defender is virtually assured of a place in the starting XI of the Warriors when they take on Burundi in the first leg of their 2013 Nations Cup qualifier later this month.
He had a shaky start to life as a fully-fledged Warriors in the international friendly against Zambia at Rufaro last year when Norman Mapeza threw him into the fray.

But he adjusted quickly and in the second half he was playing with a lot of authority.
Zvasiya has a long way to go before he can start dreaming of becoming the next Lucas Radebe because it’s not every year that you get a player rising from Africa to captain an English Premiership side in the semi-finals of the Champions League and also skippering your country at two World Cup finals.

But when Radebe was shot at in 1991, as he tried to establish himself at Chiefs, very few people would have gambled their money on him going on to captain South Africa and Leeds United and enjoying such a successful career.