adminLovemore Dube, Sports Editor
MANY children of sports stars face a problem of being compared to their fathers. This tends to put unnecessary pressure on them as more often than not, they find it difficult to live up to expectations of their great parents. But for twins Kevin and Elvis younger brothers of Thabani Moyo, that has never been an issue.
Thabani, who played for Olympiakos in Cyprus, Motor Action and Highlanders but is now at Black Boots, has always insisted that he has been his own man on the pitch. He says he has always encouraged his brothers not to be influenced by his stature nor that of their father a former Eagles striker – Bishop.
“I have always been my own man, eager to go about my business without the pressure of being a known son of a former footballer. To my younger brothers I have always said they must not feel the pressure of having me as their brother, they are individual footballers with their own set goals which they must work hard to achieve,” said Thabani recently.
But in this family’s case it appears it’s the sons overshadowing their father.
Bishop might have played for Eagles but it is a team which was more like one swallow making a summer.
The late former dribbling king Majuta Mpofu was for a long time the personification of Eagles or Bulawayo Wanderers.
There was not much to talk about the other players as the other 10 appeared to play a supporting role in a script in which Jujuju was the scriptwriter, director and main actor.
When Majuta retired Boy Ndlovu took over but was lucky in that Rahman Gumbo, Elvis Chiweshe and Tanny Banda appeared to play starring roles worth noting by fans, national coaches, scribes and fans.
In that cast was Bishop Moyo, a defender who like most in the club was overshadowed by the dribbling skills of Majuta Mpofu and Boy Ndlovu.
Born on 26 December 1958 at Mpilo Hospital, Bishop grew up in the soccer mad Njube suburb with the likes of Rahman Gumbo, the late Simon Ncube and Ndaba Ndabitsho, one of the many very talented stars of the yesteryear era never to play Premiership or Super League football.
They played together in the streets of Njube at Mtshede Primary School and the automatic route to go was Njube United, a community team fronted by Rahman’s father which was in existence up to the 1990s.
Some credit it with the formation of Njube Sundowns at the beginning of 1996 when Mukoma Simba, Gift Banda and the late Joshua Mhizha resolved that there be a team for the suburb.
Bishop was the first born in a family of six which had two boys him and Sonny who was a fringe player at Bulawayo Wanderers at some stage but is deceased and four girls.
“Soccer was what we lived for in Njube and we enjoyed doing what other boys in the suburb did which was to play plastic balls with peers from around the suburb and other townships,” said Moyo.
So good was Bishop that he captained Mpopoma High School, an institution he attended between 1972 and 1975.
He later moved to Bulawayo Wanderers (Eagles) where he played his senior league football with some of the best players in this country then.
He describes Boy and Majuta as having been immensely talented.
“Majuta was a gem. He was such a dribbler that he would get six other players and have a team of 11 to play against and his would win because of him. He played with us at Siziba Recreational Club near ‘O’ Square in Njube. We all grew up inspired by his genius and playing with him at Wanderers was an honour.
“Those were the days of good talent that played with so much passion and had so much to offer for the spectators,” said Bishop yesterday.
The former Eagles striker still remembers vividly his days with Simon Ncube, Leonard Ncube, Bigboy Ndlovu later to play for Highlanders, Morris Mpofu, Majuta’s young brother, Stanford Ntini, Ronnie Maseko, Abraham Nyoni and the Mkwananzi twins Cliff and Clifford.
“Most of us grew up together playing at Siziba Recreation Club and it was easy to gel at Wanderers where we played under Tendai Chieza and Trevor Juul Carelse.
A left-footed striker, Bishop is not surprised Elvis and Kevin took after him although Thabani has a stronger right foot.
He was invited to Eagles by his friend the late Noel Nyoni.
Joseph James was part of the team Bishop played for at Wanderers with the likes of Boy Ndlovu.
Victor Moonsammy, Arthur Makombe, Rahman and Charles Gumbo, Joseph Ndlovu, Johannes Tshuma, Black Mambas coach John Ncube, Busi Ncube, Francis Paketh and the late Lucky Dube were part of the mid 1980s Wanderers squad which he considers the second generation of players.
He described Masvingo Bullets, Mandava United, Red Seal Rovers and Bata Power as having been worthwhile opposition.
“We had a good team with Boy Ndlovu outstanding and these clubs were very good opposition for us, they gave us a good run for our money.
“The best I remember was losing 2-0 in the Zifa Cup final against Caps United after extra-time after we had knocked Dynamos out of the cup,” said Bishop.
An injury forced Moyo to quit competitive football and he was one of the founders of fledgling social soccer club – All Stars that he founded with Sport and Recreation Commission chairman Joseph James and the Mkwananzi twins.
Bishop believes his 20-year-old twin sons will go places.
“They are their own men, they have the skill and desire to achieve. I personally think they will go places and what helps them is that they are versatile and can play a number of positions like I did,’ said Bishop.
Online Reporter