Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere Senior Sports Reporter
FROM the football fields of Pumula to the Champions League stage and now the classroom, Zimiseleni Moyo’s football journey continues to gather momentum.
The 41-year-old Zimbabwean coach is celebrating another important milestone in his developing coaching career after embarking on his Caf A Diploma studies in Zimbabwe, a move that underlines his determination to keep learning and rise to the highest levels of the profession.
Moyo, who has been making his mark in Zambian football, has chosen to return to the classroom at a time when his coaching stock is steadily rising.
Reflecting on his decision to pursue the qualification on his official Facebook page, Moyo acknowledged that his extensive playing career alone was not enough to make him the coach he wants to become.
“Understanding that being the best, my 15 years of professional high-level playing experience isn’t enough. I’m back in class with theory and more practical empowerment in motion, Caf A Diploma,” he wrote.
For Moyo, the Caf A Diploma represents much more than another coaching badge.
It is the latest chapter in a journey that has taken him from Bulawayo to the Zambian football scene, where he has built a reputation for helping struggling teams find their feet.
His latest success came at Jumulo, a side he joined in November last year when they were sitting 15th in an 18-team league with just nine points.
By the end of the campaign, Jumulo had climbed to 10th position after accumulating 42 points.
It was another impressive escape act for the former player, who had previously helped Kafue Eagles move from a relegation battle into the top 10 during his stint as interim head coach in 2024.
But Moyo is no longer content with simply rescuing teams from danger.
His sights are now firmly set on competing for championships.
“It’s been good turning a side from a relegation team to fight its way out, but now I would love to fight for a championship because as a player I achieved that. So I would love that experience as a coach and would love one day to lift the championship,” he wrote.
That ambition is backed by valuable playing experience.
Moyo started his career in Bulawayo with East Rovers’ development side and Railstars before going on to play for Motor Action.
In 2010, his career took him across the Zambezi after he was scouted by Zesco United while playing football in Johannesburg’s parks, before later turning out for Zanaco.
He consequently experienced Champions League football as a player, an experience that helped shape his ambitions for the future.
As a youngster and ball boy, Moyo also watched Highlanders take on Tanzanian giants Young Africans in the Caf Champions League, an experience that left a lasting impression on him and gave him an early glimpse of the demands and excitement of continental football.
Now, through the Caf A Diploma, Moyo is adding formal technical education to years of experience accumulated on the pitch.
His coaching vision, however, extends beyond trophies. He wants football to transform the lives of young players and their families.
“I love good football and my biggest motivation is changing lives of youngsters, seeing them make a positive impact ezimulini zabo (their families) and being impactful humans emphakathini (society),” he wrote.
And perhaps fittingly, the name Zimiseleni, meaning determination, has become a personal mantra.
“Surely it’s not a coincidence, my parents named me Zimiseleni (Determination). It’s a responsibility on my shoulders. I have to live by it,” he wrote.
For now, his focus is on completing the Caf A Diploma and continuing to build his coaching credentials.
The former Pumula boy has already travelled a remarkable road — from local football in Bulawayo to playing in Zambia, experiencing Champions League football and now returning home to sharpen his coaching tools.
For Moyo, the classroom is not a step backwards. It’s certainly a step forward!
—@FungaiMuderere
