MUTARE’S UNSUNG FOOTBALL HERO WALLOWS IN POVERTY

Ray Bande Mutare Bureau
IF there is a common denominator among former Warriors captain Willard Katsande, goalkeeper Washington Arubi and left-back Onsimo Bhasera, it has to be Timothy Masachi, the man who honed their skills at an early age.

The list continues and includes a number of players who trace their roots to Sakubva such as former Dynamos and How Mine midfielder Wonder Sithole, ex-Buffaloes centre-back Prosper Matizanadzo, Ngezi Platinum’s Tichaona Mabvura, former Harare City’s Trymore Nyamadzawo, former Monoz player Agrippa Murimba and many more.

Sadly, in our poisoned football player transfer system, for all the strenuous efforts of nurturing the talents of these relatively successful players, Masachi got virtually nothing.

At the age of 48 Masachi, who still resides at his parents’ home in Sakubva’s Chineta section together with other siblings, has absolutely nothing to show for his work.

Getting in touch with coach Sicho to have this interview was a mammoth task as his mobile phone’s mouthpiece is not functioning properly.

Such is the sad state that the man who nurtured some of the country’s most successful football players finds himself in.

Coach Sicho, as Masachi is affectionately known in Sakubva, has remained an unknown quantity even when he was appointed caretaker coach at Buffaloes during their days in the Premiership.

Yet those who were privileged to know him since the days he started his coaching career and later went on to form his beloved La Sakubva junior football development project will tell you of a man whose life is dedicated to this game.

“Well, my actual name is Itayi Timothy Masachi but many people in and around Mutare refer to me as coach Sicho, as a nickname I guess,’’ he told The Herald.

‘’I was born 48 years ago and bred here in Sakubva in the Chineta section of the suburb. I did my primary education at Zamba Primary here in Sakubva before I moved to Sakubva High One for my secondary education.

“I did play football. Apart from playing at school, I played Division Two football when I was in Grade Seven at Zamba Primary. I started off playing for the now defunct Dragon Stars juniors alongside Ephraim Masakure, the Bandura brothers Nelson and Joe, Webster Kurwaisimba in the early ‘80s.

“I later played in Division One at the now defunct British Leyland, which is now called Quest Motors, when I was in Form One at Sakubva High.

‘’By then we only had the Southern and Northern Region Division One leagues. I also turned out for a number of clubs in Division Two like Glue Lamp, Red Seal and then Scissors. We got Scissors promoted into Division One. However, it was not for long before I opted into coaching at the age of 25.’’

Masachi started coaching at the age of 25 after he was diagnosed with TB.

“I was diagnosed with TB and that only forced me out of football as a player and because of my passion for the game I had to opt for coaching. I started off with Scissors juniors.

“We used to train at Zamba Primary, both the junior and the senior teams. I later moved to Zupco Mutare as a junior team coach until I joined the senior team’s technical department when the then head coach was fired.

‘’It was around ’96, ’97 halfway during the course of the season.

“The team was deep in relegation zone but we managed to finish the season in fourth position. The following season came Ford Chitakatira and he chose me as his assistant and the same happened later when Smart Chiku (brother of the late CAPS United legend Never) came until 2001 when the team crumbled owing to lack of funds.’’

But La Sakubva will always be special to him.

“I came up with the idea to form La Sakubva after my stint at Zupco Mutare. The reason behind was that I had discovered that you do not get anything in return by working for these clubs owned by other people yet you do all the donkey work,’’ he said.

‘’I thought we could be able to nurture talent and sell players but it is unfortunate that the situation is still the same because big football institutions come and grab our players for nothing in return.

“On a number of occasions, we have written numerous complaints about it to Zifa and the respective clubs but no one has the time to listen.

‘’At the end of the day, we are only there to sharpen skills of younger players for the benefit of powerful clubs.

“It is more painful when you realise that some of us even use our personal resources that we could have used for our families in order to sharpen the skills of these youngsters but we continue reaping nothing.

“The situation is quite different when you go to some countries with sound administration and player transfer systems in place. I just continue doing it for the love of the game and the youngsters.

‘’I just hope and pray that during my time, some professional administrators will come and instil order in the player transfer systems in this country so that those who worked hard to develop talent get what they deserve.’’

The academy also formed a Division Two club but lost some of their best players.

Masachi admitted that football fans in Mutare were no longer attending matches at Sakubva like they used to in the past simply because of the massive media coverage of overseas football leagues as well as dwindling standards of the local game.

“I think it has something to do with the coverage of foreign, superior leagues on TV. Most people are now into the English Premiership, La Liga or Bundesliga more than the local Premiership.

‘’It also has to do with the quality of football they get when they come to our local matches. Buffaloes have to play entertaining football if they have to lure fans to the stadium,” he said.

He bemoaned the declining standards of the game in the country.

“No doubt, it has declined drastically. For example, when Dynamos was still Dynamos we used to watch highly entertaining football but it is no longer the same.

“I think this also has to do with the same poisoned player transfer system that allows some of our most talented players to leave the country for mainly South Africa or Botswana, even Swaziland.

‘’At the end we are only left with mediocre players in our league with no competition for jerseys in our teams. Way back, the league used to retain its best and it is no longer the same,” he said.

Asked about the absence of a resident Premiership outfit in Mutare, coach Sicho said: “I think we have the players that can make two teams in the Premiership. What we do not have is the unity of purpose among clubs.’’