Scara: PSL relegation fighter

Veronica Gwaze, Sports Reporter

WHEN a 15-year-old Xolisani ‘Scara’ Moyo purchased his first pair of soccer boots, back in 2006, all he wanted was to play for his father’s paymasters, ZPC Hwange.

The Gebhuza Secondary School Form Three learner had, for weeks, saved proceeds from his vegetable sales to own a precious pair of boots.

This would make him fit well into the Southern Region Division One side, which boasted of working-class boys who could afford fancy boots.

Despite his age, he was already a regular in the team’s starting lineup as they chased a chance to gain promotion into top flight football.

Interestingly, the young boy who found himself surrounded by budding professional footballers, had no intentions of pursuing a career in the game.

To him, football was just a past-time activity and little did he imagine himself being one of the Castle Lager Premiership cult heroes a few years later.

“At that time, it was just about playing for my father’s company and nothing more,” he said.

“My father supported me, his mates marveled at my play but my mother on the other hand was against me playing.

“I had to figure out a way to raise funds for boots because football was a leisure to me so I could not dare ask my parents to buy anything football related for me.”

Despite establishing himself as a defensive midfielder, when he completed his Ordinary Levels, he contemplated quitting football to pursue a ‘proper’ career.

However, at that time, a chance to join the Premier Soccer League fell on his lap.

It is then that he decided to take up football as a career as he signed for Chicken Inn.

“At Chicken Inn, things were now different and I had to adjust quickly to fit in and this is where I was transformed into a complete player,” he said.

In 2011, he moved to How Mine before returning to Bulawayo to join Bulawayo City in 2015.

Two years later he joined Ngezi Platinum Stars to be part of the team that transformed the Mhondoro side into a contender in 2017.

He would however, be dismissed from Ngezi alongside seniors Liberty Chakoroma and Simba Nhivi in 2019 for leading industrial action over unpaid dues.

The following year, he found home at Manica Diamonds as they sought to challenge for the 2020 Castle Lager Premiership title.

Due to the Covid-19 induced break, he however never got to cement his status at Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company-bankrolled outfit.

In 2023, he then joined GreenFuel.

Having assisted the team survive relegation, this season he moved to Bulawayo Chiefs to fill in the gaps created by the departure of key players who included Billy Veremu, Obriel Chirinda and Mthokozisi Msebe.

Interestingly, during the midseason break, he again moved to join Telone.

He was roped in by head coach Herbert Maruwa in a bid to save the struggling Wifi-Boys from relegation.

Since his arrival, Moyo has been a regular starter on the team.

“I have come to the conclusion that coaches appreciate my fighting spirit which is why I am often signed by teams who are in desperate times,” he said.

“The moves come with lucrative offers too but above everything, naturally I am a fighter and I hate defeat.

“Also, my other envied strength is the ability to communicate, I can command my mates when need arises and this has worked for most teams I play for.”

Following their massive 6-1 victory against Bikita Minerals recently, Scara is optimistic that the Wifi-Boys will survive the chop at the end of the season.

“I am confident that we will survive; remember at some point we were second from the bottom but now we are above the red-zone,” he said.

“From my past experiences, we are not in a bad position and the good things about my mates is the dedication and passion that they have.

“Some of them came from Division One so they know how it feels like to play there, none of them wants to go back there so they are fighting for PSL survival.”

Moyo hopes that the team will maintain its form, Sunday when they play away to Chegutu Pirates at Baobab.