Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
BEFORE Scottland and Hardrock emerged as the new financial heavyweights of Zimbabwean football, there was Simba Bhora, a modest Shamva outfit that dared to dream big and helped ignite a football revolution.
As true trailblazers, the Shamva miners brought top-flight football to a small mining town in 2023 and swiftly scripted history in 2024 by becoming the first Mashonaland Central club to capture the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.
But having conquered the domestic game, Simba Bhora have since found themselves battling to maintain the standards they set.
The departure of their championship-winning stars has exposed the challenges of sustaining success in an increasingly competitive league.
The club, affectionately known as Go Buju Go, have gradually slipped from the limelight.
They have fallen from champions in 2024 to third place last season and now 11th on the log, and a staggering 30 points behind leaders Hardrock heading into the final round of the 2026 PSL.
Their decline has largely coincided with an exodus of talent, with at least 20 players leaving Shamva over the past two seasons as bigger and better-resourced clubs came calling.
After their historic title triumph, championship-winning coach Tonderai Ndiraya moved to Scottland.
Ndiraya recommended the signing of several of his former Simba Bhora players, including 2024 Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona and Golden Boot winner Tymon Machope.
Others who left included goalkeepers Talbert Shumba and Taimon Mvula, Tichaona Chipunza, Vassili Kawe, Perfect Chikwende, Albert Manenji and Mtokhozisi Msebe.
The departures continued at the beginning of this season, with Simba Bhora cashing in on Donald Mudadi, Boid Mutukure and Junior Makunike, who joined newly promoted Hardrock.
Emmanuel Ziocha, the 2025 Soccer Star of the Year runner-up, moved to Scottland, while striker Isaskar Gurirab joined FC Platinum.
For Simba Bhora, it has been a period of rebuilding, reflection and learning, although club spokesperson Taurai Janhi, believes the time has come to turn those lessons into tangible results.
“Because we sold most of our key players, there was a natural disengagement and we have been observing and learning a lot during this period,” Janhi told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
“But you can’t learn forever; we now have to implement some of the things that we learnt.”
Go Buju Go have already secured their Premiership survival and will conclude their campaign against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab in a fixture that offers an interesting reference point for the Shamva side.
Madamburo have been something of an inspiration, showing that a club can remain competitive despite financial and administrative challenges.
Despite operating under a FIFA transfer embargo, Ngezi have defied expectations to occupy third position on the log, largely relying on players developed within their own structures.
Janhi believes Zimbabwean football needs to strike a better balance between importing foreign players and developing local talent, arguing that the domestic game should also become a platform for exporting Zimbabwean footballers.
“We are not saying we will not import, but we are saying there should be a balance that also allows local players to have an opportunity,” he said.
“We want Simba Bhora to be a club that gives local players a chance to blossom. We are seeing a big rise in the importation of players, but we are not exporting our own local players.
“We want to say we have achieved when clubs from DRC, South Africa or Europe come and inquire about our local players.”
In many ways, Simba Bhora have already demonstrated the value of providing opportunities to players who might otherwise struggle to attract attention.
Machope is perhaps the clearest example.
The Shamva outfit plucked the striker from the lower divisions, gave him a platform to showcase his abilities and watched him develop into one of the country’s most feared forwards.
His exploits earned him national team recognition before he eventually moved to defending champions Scottland.
For Janhi, that is the kind of legacy Simba Bhora want to build, even as they attempt to rediscover the competitive edge that made them champions two seasons ago.
“Simba Bhora have played their bit,” he said. “We came in and triggered the initial revival of football in the top-flight league.
“Then in 2025 came a new player, Scottland, who had more firepower and resources. In the process also came in Hardrock, who are also well-resourced.
“After winning the title, our players attracted the interest of some big teams, including these emerging forces. But next year we expect better fortunes. We are capable of challenging for a top-four finish.
“Yes, football is about resources and we are not as well-resourced as some other teams, but with the right type of players and the right mentality we can still compete.”
Simba Bhora’s immediate challenge is to rebuild a squad capable of competing with the country’s emerging financial giants without losing the identity that helped them rise to prominence.
Janhi insists that local player development must remain central to that process, pointing to Ngezi as evidence that clubs do not necessarily need to rely heavily on foreign imports to achieve success.
“We have to do more in terms of promoting local talent,” he said. “Yes, the foreign players have added some value and hype to our league, but we mustn’t forget that we have our own local players who need to be given opportunities.
“A good example is Ngezi Platinum Stars. They have achieved what most people thought they wouldn’t achieve using homegrown players.”
For a club that once transformed the football landscape in Mashonaland Central, the ambition now is to prove that their rise was not a one-season wonder.
Simba Bhora may no longer command the financial muscle of Scottland and Hardrock, but they believe they still have the blueprint to compete, identify talent, develop it and give players the platform to shine.
The Shamva revolution might have lost some of its momentum, but it appears Go Buju Go now want to get it rolling again.
