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Danisa Masuku
FORMER Eastlands FC forward, Edward Hunidzarira (59) firmly believes players should give their best in their academic pursuits and those that are not gifted academically should do vocational training courses.
Just like former late South African president Nelson Mandela, Hunidzarira believes that, in as much as sport can be a full-time professional career, education remains a key tool in changing the world.
Football, internationally and locally has often resulted in several football greats ending up as paupers due to lack of education and an ability to manage their lives and finances wisely.
Locally players who passed on with very little to show for their trickery on the field include Nqobizitha Maenzanise, Mercedes Sibanda, Lenny Gwata, and Francis Shonayi just to name a few. Drawing from such scenarios, Hunidzarira tries to paint a different portrait of local footballers whereby education becomes the striking feature.
“Education can change one’s life. Those who have taken that path have not gone wrong and when their football careers ended abruptly they found a fall back,” he says.
He says he has noted with concern that the youngsters who pursue football as a career do not prioritise education.
“Most football players do not pursue education with zeal as they believe they would eke a living from football but they do not know that football is a career that could end any time due to injury,” he says while comfortably reclining on a sofa at his family home in Mzilikazi suburb.
The soft spoken former striker chose to be brutally honest, revealing that he is not an exception, regretting his failure to put extra effort into his education, currently managing to just barely survive.
“If I had put a lot more effort into getting a decent education, I could be living a more decent life today, but I chose to blindly pursue football and I did not get a whole lot from my passion (football),” he revealed to Sunday Life Sport.
Hunidzarira looks after his family through his “job” operating a push scotch cart barely making a decent living. That has however, kept him from a beggar’s life.
He is proud of what he does to put food on the table for his family.
“Through pushing a scotch cart, I have managed to ensure that my four children receive decent education and I provide for their upkeep without begging for help from well wishers,” he bragged.
Hunidzarira bemoans the demise of youth centres and says they were the conveyor belt of athletic talent.
“Most players that made it before and during time were produced at youth centres. There were many sport disciplines such as football, tennis, basket ball, athletics, table tennis, drama etc at these youth centres. Players like Titus Majola, Philemon Dangarembwa, Tobias Mudyambanje, Ben Makadzange, the Ndlovu brothers — the late Madinda, Adam and Peter are all products of these youth centres,” he says with a smile.
He says reviving the youth centres will help to keep youngsters away from vices such as drugs and alcohol. He challenged the Sports Ministry to consider reviving the Youth Centres.
“I would like to kindly ask the Minister of Sport to consider reviving the youth centres as they were breeding grounds for talent grooming and exposure,” he argues.
Due to his goal scoring prowess, he earned the nickname “George”. He is a product of Mzilikazi Youth Centre where he rose from playing the Under-9 side up to Under-14s. At Mzilikazi Youth Centre he played alongside players like Willie “Matholwane” Luphahla and Ben Makadzange. When he was with the Under-16s, Luphahla who was already turning out for Highlanders invited him to the club’s juniors. He has fond memories of his times at Highlanders.
“We were coached by Ali ‘Baba’ Dube and he used to visit us at our homes and would encourage us to give it our best in our chosen careers and we took the advice with the seriousness it deserved,” he told Sunday Life Sport.
At 17 years of age, Hunidzarira took the plunge and joined Eastland FC. At that time, the team had prominent names such as Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu and Chris Mhlanga and revealed that they would camp at Mpilo Central Hospital. He joked about how they were given boiled eggs that they would eat part of them before stashing the remainder in their socks during these camps.
“Before our matches we would normally eat some of the boiled eggs and save some to throw on the football pitch to aid us to win. I believe that in most of the cases it worked for us,” he says while chuckling with unbridled mirth.
In what has become a confirmation of rampant use of juju in local football circles, the pint-sized former striker also revealed that at times they were taken to the bush where they were instructed to jump over a fire.
“We would jump over the fire during the wee hours of the night,” he said while relaxing in his sofa and his sister echoed the same sentiments.
His most favourable match was when he played in front of his family members at Barbourfields Stadium.
“I really enjoyed the match I played against Arcadia at B/F with my late father (Jethro Hunidzarira) and other family members watching. We won the match courtesy of my two assists,” he says with his infectious smile.
But his worst match was when they were massacred 6-1 by Olympics.
“We went into that match with our tails up as we were enjoying a fine run in the league, but the Barry Daka-coached side humbled us. We were recipients of a very humbling 6-1 drubbing,” he shared.
Lobel’s scouts then lured him with a job and he left to join the side.
“Lobel’s FC was in the Bulawayo Amateur Football Association (Bafa) league and I spent two seasons with the team,” he says.
Veteran coach, Daka then enticed him to Supersonic FC where he played alongside Tito Paketh, Mike Mhlanga and Boyce Malunga. Before long he left and joined a South Zone league outfit Meikles FC.
“I spent a season at Meikles before I joined a Division One side All Blacks FC where I also spent a season,” he said.
The now nomadic forward then moved to join another Division One side, Triangle FC where he played with his brother Jethro “Chemmy” Hunidzarira (who would eventually star for all conquering Zimbabwe Saints team of the late 80’s). After spending five years with the side, he joined a local Division One side Everton FC where he spent two years.
He retired from soccer at the relatively young age of 28, eleven years after his debut at 17 years of age.
Online Reporter