Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AT just 14, Emmanuel Ziocha danced under the flashing lights of the ZBC stage, captivating Zimbabwe with his fluid moves, alongside the late dancehall star Soul Jah Love.
Today, he commands the midfield with the same flair, but this time, it is with boots on grass instead of sneakers on stage. Ziocha’s journey, from entertainer in Jah Love’s “Conquering Family” to Simba Bhora’s top assist king in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), reads like a script no one could have written better.
He is not just a footballer. He is an artiste, and every pass, feint and assist echoes his roots in performance.
“I was a dancer before I was a footballer,” Ziocha says. “Jah Love believed in me when I was just a kid. He saw something in me before I even saw it myself.”
This season alone, Ziocha has racked up 11 assists and three goals, the most at Simba Bhora and across the PSL. His vision and creativity have turned him into one of the league’s most exciting playmakers. But before the boots and glory, there was rhythm and sacrifice.
Ziocha was just a boy from Mbare when he crossed paths with Soul Jah Love, real name Soul Musaka, during the heyday of Zimdancehall.
Musaka, a rising force at the time, regularly recorded music in the suburb. It was there that he noticed the energetic teen who had a passion for both football and dance. But it was only after seeing him perform on the ZBC show, YGT, that Musaka took action.
“The very day he saw me on YGT, he came straight to my mother and asked if I could join his team,” Ziocha recalls. “From that day, we became like family. He took me in as a younger brother.”
Ironically, football was Ziocha’s first love. He once tried out for a Division Two side in Mbare, but the coaches dismissed him, saying he had skill, but lacked the physique they were looking for. So, the teenager threw himself fully into dance.
Under Jah Love’s wing, he appeared on various stages, starred in videos and watched as the singer transformed Zimdancehall with poetic lyrics and raw honesty. But offstage, Ziocha also saw the pain behind the fame.
Musaka, known to many as Sauro, began battling substance abuse. His mood would flip without warning, calm one minute, furious the next.
And while others often felt the sting of his temper, Ziocha says he never did.
“To me, he never changed,” Ziocha says. “He was always the same soft elder brother. Some of the guys were jealous of that.”
Despite his battles, Jah Love remained fiercely protective of his inner circle. He shielded them from the worst of his struggles, even sending them away when he was about to indulge in drugs.
He once warned Ziocha’s mother that if her son ever touched substances, he would personally deal with him.
And no matter how chaotic life got, Musaka made sure his band was paid and cared for.
“He always reminded his manager to pay us before or after shows,” Ziocha remembers.
As time went on, Jah Love began encouraging Ziocha to return to football. He believed the young dancer had what it took to make it professionally.
“He always told me, ‘One day, I want to see you in the Premier League,’” Ziocha says.
But Musaka never lived to see it. He passed away on February 16, 2021 from diabetes-related complications. He was buried with provincial hero status at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre.
Ziocha says the discipline, the attention to detail and the emotional strength he now brings to the game were all moulded during his years with Musaka.
“The lessons I picked up from my time with him now shape who I am on and off the pitch,” he says.
And it shows.
From tight midfield battles to match-winning assists, Ziocha’s game is full of rhythm. His movements echo a past that once played out under spotlights, now turned stadium floodlights.
He dances still, only this time with the ball.
Online Reporter