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Lovemore Dube
THERE are some team players who capture the limelight because of their charisma or their deft skills.
But like one swallow not making a summer season, others get the job done quietly and much to the team’s glory.
Most of these players disappear into oblivion as soon as they play their last game. Yet the more colourful Dusty King, Tommy Masuku, Madinda Ndlovu, Majuta Mpofu, Daniel “Dididi” Ncube, David Khumalo, Kakoma Kayonga, July Sharara, Joseph Machingura, Samson Phiri, Robert Godoka and Mike Abrahams are still remembered decades after calling it a day in the beautiful game of football.
The mention of former Hwange FC defence kingpin may not arouse much interest to readers and football fans, cool as a cucumber in his heydays, Shimani Mathe was a star in the Hwange set up from 1995 to 2003.
He played with some of the best Chipangano players of the last two decades who include club legends Chenjerayi Dube, Witness Munkuli, Gilbert Zulu, Obert Moyo, Alick Nyoni, Chingumbe Masuku, Nation Dube and Milos Phiri.
Born and bred a stone’s throw away from Old Ground and Hwange Colliery Stadium, three choices lay ahead of him.
One was to grow up and eventually get a job at the mine, the second to run for the mine sponsored athletics team and the last to some day graduate from the local league and play for Hwange FC in either Division One as the league’s most promoted club or the Premiership where they hold the distinction of most demotions.
Born on 24 June 1977, Mathe grew up with the likes of the 1997 Soccer Star of the Year, Walter Chuma, the son of Hwange great Chris Yoyo, Nkosilathi Muzanenhamo, Milos Phiri, Thomas Banda and Alick Nyoni were his agemates.
He went to Lwendulu Primary School, a nursery for Hwange football where his childhood hero Benson “kaBhiza” Soko, Stanley Nkomo and dozens of past and present Chipangano players went to.
Mathe spent many hours watching local clubs like Iwisa, Giant Killers, Brazil, Black Aces, Zobalikanazo, Marathon, Rufaro Rovers, Ozondiwa, Raith Rovers, Erietta, Project, Stipnovich, Rusupuko and Kabwe Warriors.
It is no surprise that while at secondary school he would land into the books of one of the clubs with Lucky “Rufaro” Mwanza among his favourite local players.
Mathe agrees that Mwanza was a great talent who mesmerised defenders in the lower leagues. Because he chose work over sport he could not be available to join the elite league Chipangano.
An admirer of the legendary Joel Shambo, the Caps United midfield genius, the former Inyathi High School defender speaks of the competition faced while developing.
“At primary school we had good competition among the Hwange schools and at high school, would single out Gloag Mission who had Thomas Banda troubling the zone with his skills,” said Mathe.
Banda comes from a footballing family with his brothers John and Nathan Nasho having played Premiership football while Thomas had stints with AmaZulu, Highlanders and Tongogara where he proved his mettle as a free scoring and dribbling midfielder.
His teammates at Inyathi, Dumisani “Stitsha” Ncube played for Shangani Mine and Collet “Coliza” Ncube for Hwange’s Brazil and ZPC (Hwange).
In his development stages Mathe was surrounded by good talent and it is no wonder he progressed to great heights.
As a youngster Mathe was invited to Power Dynamos by former Hwange defence stalwart Venancio Ncube and would also play for Hwange Pirates who were the Premiership club’s juniors.
Coach Luke Masomere while at the helm of Hwange invited Mathe to the first team where he made his debut against Rufaro Rovers, scoring in the 2-1 win.
“Senior players like Nation Dube, Taboniswa Ncube and Brian Njobvu, were in the side and I acclimatised well to the intrigues of Premiership football,” said Mathe.
His best achievement with the club was a runners-up medal in the 1999 Independence Cup losing on penalties to AmaZulu.
His most difficult opponent was Alois Bunjira who was with Caps United before a move to South Africa.
“I regard Brian Njobvu as the best player I partnered with in the heart of the Hwange FC defence, I also had great matches with Taboniswa. Brian was by far the best player I played with in any team, he was good and a good motivator and communicator on the field. Nation Dube remains the best player I watched,” he said of the highly respected former club player and coach who was relieved of his duties as the club sunk into relegation for the umpteenth time.
Mathe regards the Colliery Stadium as having had the best turf in his playing days with the worst having been Luveve.
Mathe is a former 1995 Peter Ndlovu Youth Soccer Festival winner.
While playing football, Mathe did not allow the fame which goes with it get to his head, he was able to train as a journeyman and is a foreman in the company’s mechanical department at Opencast Mine.
It is his busy work schedule that does not permit him to spare football involvement.
Like the rest of the community, he is concerned about the club’s waning fortunes that has seen it relegated once more.
He is married with three children and enjoys watching football with former teammates and friends at the Colliery Club.
In his heydays he rubbed shoulders with Charles Chilufya, Joseph Mwansa, Abu Milazi, Obert Moyo, Richard Nyathi, Oswald Sibanda, Jabulani Ngwenya, Cosmas Ngwenya, Vitalis Kamocha, Chingumbe Masuku and was coached by David Phiri, David Mwanza and Luke Masomere.
Online Reporter