Vusumuzi Dube
FORMER Young Warriors star Rainos Mapfumo says ex-Black Rhinos and Caps United midfield kingpin Stanford “Stix” Mutizwa was his most difficult opponent to contend with.
Mapfumo came face-to-face with the legend in 1980-1982 while playing for Rio Tinto of Kadoma’s Cam and Motor Mine, while the maestro was part of the mean machine at Caps United.
The duels continued with both players switching clubs in 1983, Mutizwa moving to Black Rhinos with Mapfumo joining youthful Bata Power of Gweru under ambitious Lovemore Nyabeze. Notably the two players moved to two clubs that had attracted the best talent in the country. Mapfumo found himself playing alongside Nkulumo Donga, Nevius Sithole, Machona Sibanda, Lucky Dube, Zachariah Chironda, Jimmy Mbewe, Elisha Gejo, Onias Musana and Thomas Sandram.
On the other hand, Mutizwa joined a Black Rhinos side teeming with the talents of Stanley “Sinyo” Ndunduma, Ernest Mutano, Simon Mugabe, Japhet Mparutsa, William Chikauro, Maronga Nyangela, Hamid Dhana and Jerry Chidawa. So the stage was set for royale battles between two players who were part of the most exciting talents emerging at Independence.
Both sets of players had been capped as early as 1980 for their country.
“Stix Mutizwa was my most difficult opponent. He had everything as an opponent, a great first touch, ball control, skill, pace, marking, dribbling and shooting. He read the game well and knew when to expend his energy. He was quite handful when one faced him,” said Mapfumo a former midfielder who played the old traditional Number 8.
His preferred the mid-role operating on the right channel between the right winger and the centre forward, a little bit behind though so that he could link up play.
He enjoyed this role the most when he was at Rio Tinto. There he was preferred by John Rugg to play along workhorses, former Warriors players David “Chikwama” Mwanza and Wonder Phiri.
Mapfumo was born at Empress Mine in Zhombe on 4 February 1959 and attended Esidakeni Primary School there. He started playing football at school, perfecting his skills within the compound where they had teams competing with plastic balls.
“Mines provided sporting opportunities to the majority. Entertainment opportunities were limited and we put up so many hours in the game as boys or organised as a team at school or for the mine junior teams. We were different to today’s players who expect to be brilliant but are playing less football on their own and expect to earn lots of money. We loved the game, passion was our earnings not the crap being played today where players are earning a fortune,” said Mapfumo.
As he continued to develop as a player, Mapfumo was part of the Empress Under-16 side that qualified for the Castle Cup in 1976. “It was a memorable day for me and the other lads. Being in Salisbury (Harare) the big city was a momentous occasion. I still can’t express how we felt to be in the final and curtain-raising a big match, the seniors’ Castle Cup final between Dynamos and Zimbabwe Saints.
“The atmosphere from the moment we got to the stadium was electric. Stadiums then filled up early. Everyone wanted to watch Dynamos’ Kuda Muchemeyi, Shadreck Ngwenya, David George, Daniel ‘Dididi’ Ncube, Sunday Marimo, Shaw Handriade and Oliver Kateya. Saints too were a potent force with Gibson Homela, Max Tshuma, Douglas Maneto, Isaac Banda, Lucky Rufani and William Sibanda,” said Mapfumo who sat for the final with his colleagues overawed by the occasion.
Prior to Saints’ humiliating defeat having gone there with tails up after beating Highlanders 4-0 in the Chibuku Trophy final months earlier, Empress Mine spelt doom for Bulawayo beating Pumula City Crackers juniors 2-0.
Bulawayo businessman Patrick Changunda was part of the Pumula team. Mapfumo was identified at the 1977 Chamber of Mines Games hosted by Rio Tinto. Rugg is the man who saw a rough diamond awaiting polishing and snatched it.
“Empress Mine qualified for the final against Patchway. John Rugg was watching and I was outstanding and he made a successful bid for me and that is how I joined Rio Tinto. The Chamber of Mines was an important competition that showcased talent in athletics and soccer. Many talents from the mines went on to excel,” said Mapfumo who moved to Rio Tinto with Lot Kaunda.
Rio Tinto had one of the best teams in the country.
Rugg had assembled a team with the following stars, Anderson Maphosa, Joseph Zulu, Barnabas Likombola, Ephert Lungu, David Chisambe, David Mwanza, Raphael Phiri, Wonder Phiri, Phineas Mutyavaviri and Victor Mapanda.
For his debut Mapfumo was up against Dynamos in a floodlit match at Rufaro Stadium. “I was a ball of nerves, Rugg asked me to come in for David Chisambe, he was a big player at the club. We were trailing 0-1 and I created two goals as we emerged 2-1 winners of the match. The coach was very happy and so were my teammates.
“David whom I had replaced embraced me after the game. He whispered to me that I had made him proud with my display and from there on I became a regular with Rugg using me in a 4-3-3 formation in which I played with Mwanza and Phiri in midfield while Godoka and Zulu operated on the wings in attack with Mapanda and Mutyavaviri at the centre of our attack,” said Mapfumo from his Zhombe home on Friday evening.
His first cup final came in 1978 when they beat Risco later to change to Zisco in the Chibuku Trophy.
“I felt great being part of a team that won a national tournament. It was a personal milestone,” said Mapfumo.
Rio made it to the 1980 Chibuku Trophy final but could not replicate their 1978 form as an on-fire Highlanders FC led by Doughty Sithole, Tymon Mabaleka, Majuta Mpofu and Mark Watson thumped them 4-0 at Rufaro Stadium. The gold miners were booted out at the semi-final stage of the Zifa Cup by Caps United.
But Mapfumo appeared to have done enough to catch the attention of national selectors.
He was identified among many young players that Zifa felt were worthy investing in for the future by being drafted into the team that went to the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
“We were invited to go and train there, play exhibition games and get exposure after our return from suspension from international football. I was among some very talented, some of them up there among the very best.
“I have no words to describe how I felt in being part of the history making side, the first football team to travel overseas. We had the likes of Peter Nkomo, Tapiwa Mudyambanje, Shaky Nyathi, Stanley Ndunduma, Anderson Maphosa, Joel Shambo, Sebastian Chikwature and Frank Mkanga as they assembled the best Under-23s in the league back then. It was as if deliberately they had picked on two players per club for the exposure,” said Mapfumo.
He is baffled as to how he was made to play for the Under-20s when he was obviously above the limit as he was called up for the team a couple of times in 1980 and 1981 where he was part of a squad that had Madinda Ndlovu, Chikwature, Lucky Dube, Machona Sibanda, David Zulu, Chironda, Nyathi, Mudyambanje, Sandram and Mparutsa.
He left Rio Tinto to join Bata and played for the shoemakers until 1992 when he retired.
At Bata he said he had memorable moments like beating Highlanders at Luveve Stadium in some epic battles his team ever faced.
“We knocked Highlanders out of a tournament. Our game was up and at the end Highlanders supporters were so angry that they pelted us with stones,” said the Midlands football legend. He said the good thing about Bata was that most of the players were familiar with each other having been part of the
Under-20 sides of 1980-82. He was a strong admirer of Ndunduma.
“He was a gem. For his age to captain his club showed the leadership he also exhibited on the field. He was very talented and a marvel to watch, on the field he was very disciplined too,” said Mapfumo of the legend who died in a car crash in Swaziland on 1 May 2000.
He described Highlanders and Warriors right back Mercedes Sibanda as a tough tackler he never wanted to get close to.
Now retired, Mapfumo lives in Zhombe and is a father of four with two of his sons Wellington and Talent Chiwawa having represented the Midlands in football at Under-18 level.
He disclosed that he has since changed his surname to Chiwawa.
Mapfumo believes football standards have dropped in the country a situation that is seeing crowds dwindle.
“Coaches and players are now putting the result and money at the fore. There is no more flair and passion in how they go about their business.”
Online Reporter