The last of Last Jesi is yet to come

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
FORGOTTEN midfield genius – Last Jesi – who showed so much promise upon bursting into stardom in local football in his early 20s, only to vanish into thin air like morning dew before, has resurfaced after a prolonged absence from the sport, vehemently denying allegations of substance abuse that had marred his career.
Jesi, once touted as a midfield prodigy, had seemingly vanished from the football scene in his early 20s, sparking widespread speculation about his personal and professional struggles.
Those with Eastern Region football knowledge, will attest to the fact that Jesi could have easily become one of the best players ever to emerge from the region, if not the best.
He had the potential in abundance.
Jesi’s rise to fame had been meteoric, with many predicting a glittering career ahead of him.
However, his struggles with substance abuse led to a decline in his performance, ultimately forcing him to take a break from the game.
As Jesi embarks on his comeback journey, football enthusiasts are eager to see if the talented midfielder can recapture his former glory.
However, in a candid interview, he revealed that his decision to take a sabbatical from the game was a difficult one, and that he has been working tirelessly to revive his romance with football.
“The journey back to football has not been an easy one. It has been a tough one for different reasons. Fitness is the first issue. My fitness levels needed a lot of work since I have been off the pitch for a reasonable period. I have since started my fitness classes under coach, Thulani and David Kutyauripo. I have had limited game time resulting in coaches being unsure of my skills. Remember that I had never played for a Harare team, and therefore quite a few had adequate information to open an opportunity for me,” said Jesi.
He admitted that stigma was a hurdle.
“Many people assume that I was into drugs, and that made me unwelcome to many teams. The truth is I have not used any hard and illegal substances. Remember, I played for Al Hilaal, a football team in Sudan, an extreme Islam country. Surely, you would have been punished for using drugs.
“Why do I need to start taking drugs when I am back in Zimbabwe. The Al Hilaal experience taught a lot about drug use. Until now, I still follow the Sudanese disciplinary pattern. At the same time, it is difficult to convince people otherwise. I am even ready for illegal substance tests,” asserted Jesi.
After turning 30 this year, and having been away from the game for a considerable period, what really influence his return?
“My age is still on the right side. I have convinced myself that there is no other life for me except football. Football is my life, and my life is football. I left the pitch un-injured unlike other players like my GOAT, Desmond Maringwa, Samson Choruwa and Francis Madziva to name a few. It would be unfair to football to just leave the pitch unceremoniously. I have no injury, therefore I can still play even better and more mature than before.
“I still have a lot to impart to today’s football youngsters. My footballing sabbatical hurt a lot of young people who looked up to me. I have to correct that. I am better and more experienced than a lot of footballers today. It hurts to just hide this talent and stay away from exposure. I have to correct that as well,” he said.
Jesi joined GreenFuel in 2023 after his contract with Sudanese giants, Al-Hilal was terminated.
“I was last attached to GreenFuel under Rodwell Dlakama. My contract there also lapsed. Around that time, I was being tormented by some legal issues, locally and in Sudan. I wanted to be close to Harare where I was constantly called for some legal processes. I won my case against my former team and my mind is now focused on playing more football,” he said.
The dream to revive his career is imminent.
“I want to play football again. I want to play at the highest level in either local or teams in the region. I want to win the league in 2026, and this is not a joke.
To make football fans happy again, I will prove that to you in 2026. Since I live for football, I have an ambition to undergo coaching classes and attain a few coaching certificates.
“I have an ambition to make other people’s dreams come true. I am acting as an assistant coach for Dare to Dream Football Academy with my number one motto – To practice what I preach. I will always jump to a height that I ask of my players. This has motivated many youngsters,” he said.