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Sports Reporter
The name of a football side, from the lower leagues of Mashonaland East Province, might never jar a eureka moment for anyone who stumbles across it: Bhemba FC.
In footballing circles, the Midlands city of Gweru is best known for three notable clubs: Bata Power, Airforce (Chapungu) and Gweru United. But he played for none of them!
Instead, he grew up playing street football in Marondera, eventually joining unfancied Bhemba FC for a moment.
Then Bulawayo came calling and he moved to Black Eagles and then moved to Black Boots in the Zimbabwe Football Association Southern Region Division One League.
The star player was born in Gweru but spent most of his childhood in Harare and Marondera, before he enrolled at Pamushana High in Masvingo. “I played tons of street soccer in Marondera and that’s when my love for the game developed,” said Perfect Chikwende, who joined Black Eagles in 2014 ahead of a move to Black Boots in 2015, spent a year there, before he was discovered by the Bulawayo Chiefs’ technical team led by Thulani Sibanda.
Last Sunday, Perfect entered the Bulawayo Chiefs-Simba Bhora fray in the second-half to try and salvage a victory for his traveling Simba Bhora. But as he walked onto the field, his brother was watching from deep within the Chiefs backline where he partnered Xolisani “Scara” Moyo.
A strange coincidence, or an inevitability for a family which has produced two active professional footballers?
“We have football in our blood,” says Perfect. The midfielder spoke to B-Metro after taking on his brother Emmanuel, on a historic occasion for the whole family. The matches between us were a big battle since childhood,” he recalls.
Perfect (31) jokes that as the older of the two, he was the best of the pair.
“I am the older and the best. I think that I inspired Emmanuel to play. But of course, a lot of times after matches we have blood on us, or maybe a head injury because we always play aggressively,” joked Perfect.
For those who have not watched the Simba Bhora midfielder grow from a young prospect at Bulawayo Chiefs, his ascent was remarkable. Back home, Perfect says Chiefs have become widely known as “a little factory of talent”, but Perfect was almost unheard of in Zimbabwe when he signed for Chiefs from Black Boots.
By the time he left FC Platinum for Chiefs in 2021, he was a national team player. However, his younger brother, 21-year-old Emmanuel was also turning heads and signed his first pro contract with Bulawayo Chiefs the same season his brother moved to FC Platinum before moving there himself last season.
“These moments are crazy and we try to enjoy all these moments. It is difficult because in football you always want more,” said Perfect.
He wanted more for himself, too — he had been dreaming of a move beyond the borders for two years before he finally earned his shot in Tanzania, where he joined SC Simba.
Perfect remembers Emmanuel as “a special player”, who “improved a lot” during his Chiefs days, making the centre-back role his own.
“The first step in the first team was difficult because at Chiefs they play really aggressive football and all the matches are a battle. But he improved and showed Chiefs to be one of the best. He plays like a sweeper, very defensive but a good passer of the ball too and that is really special.”
While they are all fiercely competitive on the field, the Chikwendes seem devoid of rivalry off it, wholeheartedly supportive of each other’s achievements. He wishes his father could watch their matches on two computer screens — one for each son.
“It will be difficult because maybe one of his two sons will lose. But he is trying to enjoy this part of our life in football and all the family as well,” Perfect admits.
Not many brothers have played against each other, as many brothers in the local league have tended to play for the same team, apart from the pair of Rahman Gumbo (late), who turned out for Highlanders while his younger brothers Norman and Nkosana played for Zimbabwe Saints.
Online Reporter