Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Sports Reporter
WHEN Thulani Joseph left Bindura for Bulawayo at the beginning of 2024, the excitement of joining Chicken Inn was mixed with the pain of leaving his sick father behind.
His family needed the money football could provide, but Joseph had spent years helping his mother care for the man who had once been their breadwinner.
It was the first time since his father fell ill that Joseph would be away from home for an extended period.
“I had to try hard not to think about it. The thought gave me shivers. It was the most difficult time of my life,” he said.
Recently, the quiet defender stepped into the spotlight with a stunning long-range goal that handed Chicken Inn a 1-0 victory over Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium.
The strike, from about 40 metres, ended Dynamos’ 15-match unbeaten run and gave the Gamecocks a memorable victory over one of the country’s biggest clubs.
Joseph had spent much of the afternoon organising the defence, making tackles and leading from the back. Then came the moment few expected. He spotted an opportunity, took aim and beat the Dynamos goalkeeper with a shot that lit up Rufaro.
Behind the player celebrating that goal was a man whose football journey had been shaped by family hardship and a difficult decision to leave home when he was still needed there.
Joseph’s father sustained an injury on his right elbow while working for a company in Bindura. Complications during treatment left him in and out of hospital for years and he was unable to provide for the family.
Joseph had to help his mother care for him.
At the time, the family was struggling financially and sometimes lived from hand to mouth.
While playing in Harare, Joseph would wake up early, attend to his father and then travel from Bindura for training or camp.
He made his top-flight debut with Mushowani Stars and later became a trusted defender for CAPS United.
Then Chicken Inn came calling.
The move meant travelling about 430 kilometres from Bindura to Bulawayo and leaving his family behind.
Joseph knew the opportunity could improve their situation, but accepting it was painful.
“It was a difficult decision, but I had to make the sacrifice to go to Bulawayo because I needed the money to make things work at home,” he said.
“On some days, it tore me deep down. I am happy that not long after I left, my father recovered and everything else stabilised.”
Joseph settled quickly at Chicken Inn. He featured throughout the first half of his debut season and missed only three matches in the second half through suspension and injury.
His reliability made him a rare constant during the club’s long search for stability.
Chicken Inn have struggled since finishing second in 2022.
Prince Matore and Joey Antipas have both taken charge during that period, with the Gamecocks finishing seventh twice before dropping to 12th last season.
Two-time Coach of the Year Tonderai Ndiraya was brought in to rebuild the team, but Joseph survived the overhaul and remained on the team sheet.
The reserved defender, affectionately known as Gustavo, does not say much about himself. He simply gets on with his job.
For the record, his legal name is Thulani Joseph, though it is often written in reverse order.
He discovered his talent during his school days at Hermann Gmeiner in Bindura and believes football is a gift he was born with.
“I think it is an inborn talent,” he said. “Sometimes I ask myself how I pull off some of the performances on the pitch.”
Chicken Inn have again struggled for consistency this season. They are ninth with 37 points from 27 matches after 10 wins, 10 defeats and seven draws.
They are also out of the ZIFA Munhumutapa Challenge Cup and Chibuku Super Cup, with Ndiraya already looking towards next season.
Joseph remains central to his plans.
“Joseph is a phenomenal player and that goal against Dynamos was top quality. I doubt we will get another one of that calibre this season,” Ndiraya said.
“It shows you the type of player he is. Having the courage to shoot from about 40 metres is what any coach wants to see.”
For Joseph, football remains more than the applause that followed his wonder goal at Rufaro.
It is the work that took him away from Bindura when his family needed an income.
It is also what now allows him to support them from Bulawayo.
“At home they miss me, but I have to work,” he said. “I often send money and then visit when I can.”
