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Curtworth Masango
Sports Reporter
TYMON Machope broke into the top-flight football league with Shamva-based side Simba Bhora last season at the age of 29.
He proved vital for his side who were battling relegation in their debut season, scoring seven goals along the way.
In many leagues worldwide, it is arguably difficult to make a transfer move from a lower division after the age of 27 but the story of Machope reads from a rare different script.
From fading all hopes of playing in the top-flight, Machope is now part of a star-studded Simba Bhora despite spending the better part of his football career playing in social leagues and lower divisions leagues. With little hope of seeing his football career flourishing, he had to find a job for him to earn a living.
He worked as a clerk at Morisson Farm in Rusape where he played for their social team.
While at Morisson, he was offered a job by Midway after they saw him playing for their social team.
Despite being offered a job as a clerk at Midway, Machope finds himself working at the abattoir but little does he know it was a step closer to his destiny.
While at Midway the team was promoted into the ERSL Division One where he scored goals for fun. He was now on the radar of several teams including Triangle FC but to his surprise, nicodimously Simba Bhora came knocking on his door.
“I don’t think I had hope as I had lost it all. At first, when I was growing up I was so sure that I would make it to the top-flight, and people around me would encourage me, saying I was good but when I started playing in those social leagues I was already losing hope.
“But after joining Midway, when the owner promised us that if we had qualified for Division One we would play and that’s when I get some motivation,” he said.
Machope had flirtations with PSL teams before and almost made it twice but fortune wasn’t on his side.
“At one point I met this man who was a prison warden from the ZPCS. He took me to Flame Lily for trials but it didn’t go well.
“I was short-listed on the 25-man wanted on a junior slot but it only lasted for three to four hours before everything changed and I was dropped.
“So I had to go back to Mutorashanga and in 2022 when Cranborne Bullets were using Vengere, they were tipped to look for a single or two homegrown talent for them to gain local Rusape support.
“I was tipped to try my luck there despite being not a homegrown talent and I trained well but unfortunately the coaches didn’t pay close attention to me and I easily gave up, opting to go back to work as it wasn’t materially benefiting me.
“I was using my own money for transport and anything related so I just realised I was making a loss and I had to go back to my work at Midway.” Machope was aware of the interest from Triangle and not any other top-flight team.
“When I started playing Division One games with Midway, Triangle were following me.
“I remember when we played in Masvingo, I even spoke with their executive and mainly their representative who was the scout and the coach also.
“But there is this game we played against Hunters, Simba Bhora’s goalkeepers’ coach came that day but honestly I didn’t know how they knew about me.
“So I went outside the gate before the game began and I met him and he greeted me, asking if I knew someone by the name Tymon Machope and inquisitively requested my playing whereabouts before I professed to him and he only wished me a good game.
“Little did I know that he was sent to see me playing. And I remember in that game within 20 minutes I had grabbed a brace and an assist as we were leading 3-0.
“I heard the coach at half-time and gave a report that saw me signing for Simba.
“So I was happy that I had arrived at the biggest stage of local football. From my family, I became the first to reach this level.”
Machope believes his move to Simba Bhora changed his life for good as he is now able to save his earnings and delve into different projects.
Online Reporter