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Mbongeni Ncube
IF ever there was a a�?Highlanders Hall of Famea�� one man would easily have his name inked into the book of the greatest Bosso sons that played for the team and later succeeded with the club as a coach.
That man is none other than Bosso legend Rahman Allen Gumbo.
B-Metro Sport takes a look at Gumbo fairy tale story that captured the hearts and minds of the Bosso faithful during his stint as a player and coach.
In 1979 Gumbo kick began his soccer career as a Zimbabwe Saints junior player which led to his call up for the under 20 national team.
He later played for Eagles before joining Highlander in 1988. Within a year he moved to Denmark for six months with team mate Mercedes Sibanda turning out for FC Brondy.
Gumbo played alongside Madinda Ndlovu, Willard Khumalo, Ronnie Jowa and Amini Soma Phiri. In 1990 Highlanders won the league and cup double which meant the year after they would play in Africa.
In 1991 they played Nationals Sc in Cairo and Gumbo attracted the attention of Cypriot scouts which resulted in him moving to CyprusA� for a two year stint with Apop.
He earned the monicker a�?Dr Rusha�? taking from the Liverpool legend of the 80s Welsh footballer Ian Rush.
In 1993 when he was part of Zimbabwea��sA� Dream Team his playing career came to an end after a fetal knee injury.
He loved the game as such moved to coaching. In his first coaching job in 1996, he helped Eagles gain promotion into Division One.
The following year, 1997, Gumbo joined Bossoa��s technical department as an assistant to Madinda when the club was under Wyatt Mpofu.
He continued his stint at Bosso under Roger Muhlwa and Peter Dube in 1998-2000 when Dube was club secretary general.
The crowning moment for Gumbo came when he took over as head coach when another Bosso son Madinda Ndlovu whom he was assistant to in 1997 was fired after a string of poor results.
Gumbo took charge of the young talent that Madinda had left to his advantage and he undoubtedly gave the players direction grooming unheralded players such as Siza Khoza, Zenzo a�?Zemuraa�� Moyo, Alexander Phiri, Blessing Gumiso, Thulani a�?Biyaa�� Ncube, Johannes a�?Tshisaa�� Ngodzo, Tapuwa Kapini, Melody Wafawanaka and Eddie Dube into house hold names.
Gumbo can arguably be named as Bossoa��s most successful local coach as he won the Premier Soccer League title in 1998/99 season and retaining the League title twice in 2000-2001with Benjani Moyo as his assistant.
In 2005 he assumed the role of national team a�� the Warriors a�� coach but was later sacked after losing 3-0 to Nigeria.
The nomadic coach then spent over a decade in Botswana and Malawi coaching different teams in the respective countries as well as short stints in the Zifa Southern Region League withA� Bulawayo Chiefs assisted by Thulani Sibanda.
He also coached now defunct Motor Action with Joey Antipas as his assistant.
Fast forward to May 2016, Gumbo and his trusted lieutenant Sibanda are back in the periphery of top class Zimbabwean football with reigning Premiership champions Chicken Inn.
The sky is surely the limit for the Bosso legend and coach.
Online Reporter