Online Reporter
Mwandibhuya Kennedy Mutepfa in CALGARY, Canada
IN January 20044, I was driving to Harare to join the ZIFA delegation travelling to Tunisia for Zimbabwe’s historic first appearance at the AFCON.
Running behind schedule, I was driving a little faster than I should have.
Just before the Norton flyover, a police speed trap flagged me down.
There were three police officers in a highway police vehicle. One officer approached my car and politely said, “my friend, you are speeding. May I have your driver’s license”
That officer was Fiso.
What I expected to be a routine traffic stop turned into a conversation that lasted several minutes and marked the beginning of a remarkable friendship.
Instead of simply writing a ticket, he advised me to slow down and travel safely.
Then, recognising who I was from my role in football administration, he began asking thoughtful questions about Zimbabwean football.
Like many passionate supporters, he had every reason to raise issues that had stirred debate during my time at the PSL as its Secretary-General.
I half expected him to challenge me about Highlanders issues – perhaps the Breakfast Matches, when Highlanders were made to play in an empty stadium, or the long-standing controversy surrounding the Castle Lager Trophy, where many Highlanders supporters believed the club should have retained the trophy permanently after winning four consecutive league titles.
Instead, he surprised me.
His question was about AmaZulu.
He genuinely wanted to understand why the league could not accommodate the club by allowing them not to play on a Saturday.
It was a sincere question, asked not in anger but with genuine curiosity.
We had an engaging discussion right there at the speed trap and, from that moment, a friendship was born. From January 2004 onwards, Fiso and I remained in regular contact.
We exchanged countless messages on Facebook Messenger, discussing football administration, governance, and the decisions that shaped our beloved game. We did not always agree.
In recent years, I even challenged some of the decisions made by Highlanders, sharing my views directly with him.
Yet our disagreements never diminished our friendship. If anything, they strengthened the mutual respect we had for each other.
Looking back, it is remarkable that a chance encounter on the side of the road could blossom into more than two decades of friendship.
Sometimes life’s greatest relationships begin in the most unexpected circumstances.
I received the heartbreaking news of my good friend Fiso’s passing in a tragic road traffic accident with profound disbelief.
It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that someone who became such a cherished friend has left us so suddenly.
Ironically, the man who was supposed to issue me with a speeding ticket became one of my closest football friends.
My brother, I am deeply hurt by your passing.
I never imagined that our conversations would come to such an abrupt end.
Your friendship, honesty, and passion for football will remain with me forever.
In memory of that unforgettable meeting at Norton, I have decided to write a series of reflections that I will call “My Soccer Administration Confessions.”
Through these writings, I hope to revisit some of the decisions, controversies, and lessons from my years in football administration – many of which Fiso and I debated with sincerity, respect, and friendship.
Go well, my brother.
Rest in peace, Fiso.
Hamba kahle, Fiso, mfowethu. Lala ngokuthula. Uzahlala usezinhliziyweni zethu.
You will be greatly missed.
- Mwandibhuya Kennedy Mutepfa is a former secretary-general of the PSL and now works, and lives, in Canada
