admin
Lovemore, Dube
HERBERT Dick rates among the best defenders to emerge out of Zimbabwe in the last 20 years. He changed teams like clothes and can proudly boast of having been a legend out of the gold mining towns of Chegutu and Kadoma.
It is no wonder that he took to the sport as he was inspired by the exploits and folklore stories around the great Rio Tinto side that was coached by the legendary John Rugg and brought to the fore Ephert Lungu, Robert Godoka, Joseph Zulu, Boniface Chiseko and Raphael Phiri.
Dick is now the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe vice-president and has spearheaded many settlements for players’ dues with Division One and Premiership sides. He captained AmaZulu, Bantu Rovers, Monomotapa, Chicken Inn and How Mine.
Former AmaZulu and FC Platinum coach, the late Benjamin Moyo, rated Dick as the most complete central defenders as he combined pace, aggression and aerial supremacy.
Sunday News’ Lovemore Dube (LD) speaks to Dick (HD) about his career this week.
LD: Your birth name and surname including nicknames mate?.
HD: I was born Herbert Dick on 2 September 1979 in Kadoma.
LD: Which schools did you attend?
HD: I went to Mpawose Primary School up to Grade Seven where I started playing football as a right winger (old Number 7). I was also an athlete who went as far as national finals in the hurdles, long jump and 100M in Alaska.
LD: Did you continue with the game at secondary school level?
HD: I was at Rimuka Number 3 High School where my parents did not want to hear about sport. They wanted me to concentrate on my school work.
LD: When did you turn to competitive football since you went on to play abroad and some of the best clubs after school?
HD: I completed my O-level education in 1995 and I ran away to Chegutu where I joined Chegutu Canners (Heinz) where I stayed for six months. Those days it was easy to move from one club to the other. I was there playing with guys like Blessing Chunga a nephew of Moses Chunga and the Milanzis Jani and Moses.
LD: Growing in a town rich in sports heroes like Dera and Boniface Magodo in athletics and football the likes of Godoka, David Mwanza and Joseph Zulu, what was your inspiration?
HD: Certainly sport played a big part in our lives and was inspired by those generations of players who I watched as a little boy at Eiffel Flats including guys like Kaitano Tembo.
LD: You said you were at Canners for six months. What was your next stop?
HD: I joined GMB Chegutu in the second half of 1996 before another move at the end of the season to Chegutu Pirates where I met Chunga (Blessing), Felix Banda and Ernest Gava.
LD: Any memories?
HD: Oh yes, in 1997 we came close to being promoted and lost 1-0 to Alaska who had guys like Asani Juma who was later to make his mark at Shabanie Mine.
LD: How did you land at University Zimbabwe of Zimbabwe?
HD: Former President Canaan Banana identified me in Chegutu. He would come to watch some of the matches there and at UZ I met Benjani Mwaruwari, Lovemore Mapuya, Nkululeko Malaba, George Charumbira and Collin Siwempi.
One of our most memorable matches was playing against Blackpool in the PSL play-offs where we lost by two goals.
We gave it our best.
LD: Playing against Collins Kabote inspired Blackpool must have been a big game and tall order.
HD: There were a good side with Collins Kabote, Joseph Dube, Godknows Chamwalila and John Ncube.
LD: What happened next?
HD: Hey, I continued changing clubs like clothes as after two years I moved to my home town side Eiffel Flats in 2000 playing with guys like Uyera Mkorongo, Masane Muhoni, Boniface Chiseko, Rabson Masauso and Gift Raiva. I was then spotted by Gibson Homela some time in 2000 and in 2001 I joined AmaZulu.
LD: What was your debut game?
HD: It was against Shabanie Mine and I was man of the match partnering David Mkandawire my best centreback partner ever, James Phiri on the right and Vorster Chitemu.
LD: You appeared to have mastered the art of breaking opponents’ legs, was it a club policy or you were being mischievous? Talk of Mkhuphali Masuku, Mlungisi Ndebele, Mkandawire, Vorster, Nkosana Gumbo and Richard March, you were all hard tacklers!
HD: Competition was stiff in the side. Homela encouraged us to play to our strengths as defenders and we did just that. We did not want strikers messing around us.
LD: You were with AmaZulu up to 2005 what were you successes?
HD: My five years at AmaZulu brought me the league championship, OK Grand Challenge, Madison Trophy and the Dairibord Cups. I enjoyed my game there and competition was stiff though. We played for each and our boss Delma Lupepe.
LD: You were on the road again where to from AmaZulu?
HD: Monomotapa was my next destination.
LD: But you did not stay long there?
HD: I got a chance to play in Poland for a season where I played in the Champions League. I was with Legia Warsaw and Swansea goalkeeper Lucas Fabiaski was my teammate.
LD: You won the championship in 2003 with AmaZulu after being runners-up twice before as Usuthu, tell us how was it like playing in Africa/
HD: That is when we got to be recognised among men in the game. We beat Maxaquane in the preliminary round and in the next stage it was Petro Atletico of Angola whom we met. We won 2-1 at home only to lose 1-0 and 3-2 on aggregate after the second leg. It was good exposure and experience for all of us at the club.
LD: It would have been a rare occurrence not to play for the Big Three, did you ever play for anyone of them?
HD: In 2008 I was with Highlanders. I would like to think I played for them at the wrong time. The economic situation was bad then. However, it was an honour to have played for one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the country. I have fond memories of my time there.
LD: You were on the road again in 2009 Dick.
HD: Methembe Ndlovu who was my coach at Bosso invited me to his new project Bantu Rovers who like AmaZulu and Monomotapa I captained. I also captained Chicken Inn and How Mine in my career. I left Bantu and joined Chicken Inn who after two years I left for How Mine and I retired at Bantu Rovers in 2014. I decided to retire on my own without being forced to it.
LD: Your most difficult opponents . . .
HD: It was the likes of Flavio, Akwa and Gilberto and Mendonca of Angola. There were physically imposing.
LD: Who was your favourite local player?
HD: Joseph Kabwe who I played with at AmaZulu.
LD: Any national team caps?
HD: I was called up at Under-23 level but could not beat Thulani Ncube to a place in that side that was coached by Misheck Chidzambwa, Barry Daka and Gibson Homela and later Clemence Westerhorf.
I made over 12 senior caps though and was lucky to be among a good crop of Zimbabwe stars some of whom played in Europe.
LD: Any difference between the game here and Europe where you played?
HD: In Europe it’s more tactical while in Africa its physical with little brain at times.
LD: The team that used juju most . . .
HD: Among our opponents it was Mhangura. Among the clubs I played for ummhh let me not say anything.
LD: But you once said you feared Shabanie Mine as your day’s opponents.
HD: They were hard to beat or contain. You had them coming at you with pace and physique and making good use of Francis Chandida’s crosses. Asani Juma, Thomas Makwasha, Patrick Mandizha and James Kaunda were hard to contain, Highlanders with Thabani Masawi, Darlington Phiri, Sautso Phiri and Siza Khoza were quite handful.
LD: Did you ever score any goals?
HD: I scored a minimum of three goals a season.
LD: Nowadays what are you up to?
HD: I am now vice-president of Footballers Union of Zimbabwe.
LD: Are you married and how many kids?
HD: I am married with children.
Online Reporter