Chronicle Editor
HARLINGTON Shereni, the Chiredzi-born former Zimbabwe international soccer star, has the distinction of having captained a top European side.
He was captain of top French side FC Nantes, winners of eight league titles and four FA Cups.
Born 49 years ago in the sugar cane-growing town of Chiredzi in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Lowveld, Shereni like every kid in the street wanted to play soccer.
With the advent of a growing population with television sets and the ability to watch local football and foreign matches in a few families privileged to do that, his dream was also to be a big player.
Back then Triangle and Hippo Valley played Division One football and they provided the biggest inspiration to local kids.
As entertainment options were limited, Shereni put in a lot of hours playing informally with his friends on any open patch of land they could get their feet on. The many hours made up for the lack of junior football development leagues in the area, but sharpened him up for a professional career that would take him to the world and rub shoulders with some of the game’s biggest names.
He went to Chishamiso Primary School and Hippo Valley up to A-level for his secondary school education. He was part of the Hippo Valley High School team that won the 1993 Coca-Cola Championships.
Shereni bagged six A-level points and got a place at the Air Zimbabwe Training Centre to study aircraft engineering. At the Coca-Cola Championships, Shereni impressed scouts and warmed the heart of football legend the first recorded black Zimbabwe export to Europe, Freddy Mkwesha who was at Caps United.
“I left Hippo for Caps United. I joined Air Zimbabwe Jets later where I was training as an aircraft technician,” said Shereni.
So impressive was Shereni that in 1997 he was approached by Dynamos who wanted a left-back for the domestic scene and Africa. Dynamos who had won the 1997 league championship, were in Africa taking part in the Caf Champions League.
“Among the highlights of my career was playing in the Caf Champions League and reaching the 1998 Champions League final in which we lost 4-2 on aggregate to Asec Mimosa of Ivory Coast,” said Shereni.
After years of dominating left-backs like Stephen Chimedza, Oliver Kateya, Eddie Muchongwe, Stanley Chirambadare and Claudius Zviripayi, Dynamos had been in the hunt for a great talent and Shereni was their dream catch, who did not disappoint once he arrived.
He was good defensively, impressive on the attack and added something more, a terrific left shot on the run and from dead-ball situations.
One of his toughest matches was the 28 February 1999 tie against Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium where both teams were engaged in a title-deciding tie. Highlanders who had been under-achievers since their 1993 league championship win and the inaugural 1994 BP League Cup final triumph had all of a sudden risen.
A new coach Rahman Gumbo, new manager Ernest Sibanda and returnees former club secretaries Roger Muhlwa as chairman and Peter Dube as secretary, saw a change of fortunes with a young team that was taking every opponent as a prisoner.
Hopes were rising that Bosso could be back in league business for a fourth title since the 1974, 1990 and 1993 wins, that 28 February match had the whole country talking.
Four days before the match, PSL secretary-general Leslie Gwindi issued a list of ineligible players through suspension and Zenzo Moyo a key striker who would end the season with 24 goals, steady and calculating small centre-back Dazzy Kapenya, were among those. Highlanders would have none of that with the Muhlwa executive querying why it was left to the last minute and the Bosso-DeMbare tie which was crucial. Both players were fielded and Barbourfields Stadium was full to the brim with an estimated crowd of 39 000, the biggest ever at the facility.
Some fans even sat inside on the stadium pitch, and Shereni was given one of his biggest football challenges.
A penalty at a packed Barbourfields before an expectant crowd of Bosso supporters. Silence gripped the stadium as the big Shereni took the responsibility as DeMbare’s trusted penalty taker with several goals to his credit.
Amon Chimbalanga saved his effort and that was the initiative Bosso needed to bag the match on a 2-0 score-line and eventually win the championship.
It is one match he does not enjoy talking about much. With good club form, a call up came to play for the national teams and he became a regular until the 1999 Thabo Mbeki Inauguration Game.
“That game took me out of Africa. My brother Adam Ndlovu, may his soul rest in peace, had told his club about me when they said they were looking for a defender. Unknown to me during that match in which I scored, Adam’s team scouts were there and the next thing I was on my way to Switzerland,” said the 23 times capped former Zimbabwe left-back who was part of the 2004 Tunis Afcon finals squad.
Shereni who played for a good 13 years in Europe, turned out for Delemont in Switzerland and FC Zurich. He would later move to France where he played for Istres FC, En Avant de Guingamp, Strasbourg and FC Nantes, one of the biggest French sides.
“I am proud to have risen from Chiredzi and gone on to play in Europe. It was a dream come true to get into a position to be in dressing rooms where legends of the game worldwide have been. To rub shoulders with them should inspire a Zimbabwe boy from a remote area to dream big and believe everything is possible with faith and hard work,” said Shereni, a very close friend of former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari.
He noted that his career did not bring silverware but he said he must always be counted among top achievers of the local game.
“Coming from Chiredzi, Chiredzi and Hippo Valley of all the places and rising to captain a top French side, is a big trophy for me, something that I will always cherish and youngsters should aim at emulating and even do better by signing for bigger clubs. But hard work and correct habits from an early age will take them far,” said Shereni.
In France, he says he is happy to have been in the same team with former Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny at En Avant de Guingamp.
He looks with disappointment on the fact that Ivorian legend Didier Drogba and former Chelsea winger Flourent Malouda had just left En Avant de Guingamp. While playing in the top French league, Shereni clashed with Karim Benzema, Michael Essien, Sylvain Wiltord, Djibril Cisse, Samir Nasri, and Franck Ribery and Juninho.
“I would be lying if I said I was not grateful to the Lord and all those that contributed to my career. Not every good player from any league in the world got a chance to mark Benzema and Cisse. Playing football Shereni says it taught him many life lessons including appreciating different cultures.
“Chiredzi is Ndau and Shona, the national team introduced me to guys from Bulawayo and Europe was cross culture and I speak three European languages — German, Italian and French. Throw me anywhere in Zimbabwe, I will have a conversation,” said the former Warriors star who is bidding for Zifa board member office.
Istres FC plucked him out of Switzerland to France in 2003. But the most fulfilling part of his football journey was captaining FC Nantes a feature that he celebrates as one of probably two Zimbabweans to captain European sides. Noel Kaseke captained Cypriot giants Omonia Nicosia and Masfoot and Dibba Al Hissin in the United Arab Emirates. Shereni retired in 2008 and is involved in the game’s grassroots development in Harare.
About the Zifa elections, Shereni says it is about time former footballers came into the fray to help shape the future of the game.
“We belong to the football ecosystem, we have played and travelled all the things we have picked up, I believe can help in so many facets of the game. The technical aspect of football needs us, we have played for the Warriors and top clubs.
“I appeal to councillors to give me a chance to help articulate a better technical future of the game we all love. Development and inclusivity will be among the things that I would love to see happen countrywide and resources channelled to all affiliates. We have experienced and mature councillors who will help us through the ropes as we pave a new era of hope for Zimbabwe football,” said Shereni.
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