Let’s have Hall of Fame: Alex Maseko

Lovemore Dube

“LET us have a Hall of Fame and honour our country’s most outstanding soccer personalities. This would be an appreciation of their contribution to our society. They will serve to inspire future generations,” this was Zimbabwe football and South African football legend Alexander Maseko’s cry on Monday.

What irks Maseko is that in 2019 he was among dozens of football legends honoured by the Premier of Gauteng Province in South Africa David Makhura. He was handed a certificate and R50 000 in recognition of his contribution to the game and society. Soccer brings people from diverse backgrounds together.

Among some of the players who were honoured was his Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Ernest Chirwali (Mutawali) whose midfield craft illuminated the South African football scene. Maseko said it was about time soccer players found their sport in a deliberate way to perpetuate their legacies by coming up with the Hall of Fame. He said this was necessary in creating heroes out of the community’s people and this could start at the city or provincial level.

“I felt honoured to have received the recognition alongside other legends in South Africa. I never expected that because I believe I played my best football at home,” said Maseko.
Maseko said many great men and women served the Zimbabwe game with distinction and had inspired generations that followed and need to be celebrated and be accorded respect.

“It is sad I missed the Tymon Mabaleka Documentary because I have been up and down of late. I would have loved to be there as I had been invited. It is one way of perpetuating his legacy by coming up with a documentary, but it would have been great if it was done while he was alive.
“Let us celebrate our heroes while they still live so that they can hear their praises.

We could have city and provincial Halls or Walls of Fame even at club offices, Zifa and then the ultimate one at the National Sports Stadium in Harare or Zifa Headquarters,” said the former Highlanders centre-back who also was impressive for the Warriors where he formed a great partnership with Mercedes Sibanda, Eddie Muchongwe and Ephraim Chawanda.

He said the likes of George Shaya, Tymon Mabaleka and Barry Daka deserved their space at Zimbabwe’s Football Hall of Fame. There is no doubt that these could feed into Sports Tourism with enthusiasts visiting to see pictures and read biographies of the country’s great sportspersons.

Maseko runs a sports consultancy in Johannesburg and has a company in the mobile phone business.