Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda-Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN Stewart “Shutto” Murisa looks back on the late Zambian midfielder Derby Makinka, he does not just remember a teammate. He remembers magic.
In his autobiography “Shutto 15: The Untold Story”, the former Soccer Star of the Year dedicates an entire chapter to Makinka, calling him “pure class” and one of the best foreign footballers to ever play in Zimbabwe.
Makinka joined Darryn T in 1991 and, despite playing only eight games, earned a spot on the Soccer Stars calendar.
“The rules allowed a player to be considered for the accolade only if they played a minimum of 10 games,” Murisa writes. “But there are always exceptions to the rules, and these are usually in exceptional circumstances. No talent could have been more exceptional than the artistry that Makinka exhibited in that short period.”
Makinka died on April 27, 1993, in the tragic plane crash that claimed 18 members of the Zambian national team off the coast of Gabon.
Yet decades later, his name still carries weight.
Back then, the league was still known as the Super League. It became the Premier Soccer League in 1993, and since then, foreign players have been a constant presence.
Some made a lasting impact. But lately, that legacy has been undercut by a wave of imports whose quality is increasingly under question.
Over the last decade, players have come from Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and beyond, some with glittering introductions, others with CVs that do not hold up.
Few have lived up to the hype.
Take Alex Orotomal. The Nigerian striker joined Dynamos in 2022, billed as a top talent. He did not last long. He struggled to score, vanished from the pitch, and, according to whispers in Harare football circles, is now working as a dealer in the city.
Or look back at CAPS United in 2017. They unveiled Antonio Fugo, a midfielder from Equatorial Guinea, with great fanfare. But he flopped. Today, Fugo is training as a technician at a Harare institute.
Fabrice Mbiba, Boban Ziruntusa, Martin Ofori and Sadyney Urikhob are names that promised much but delivered little.
One exception in recent memory? Cameroonian striker Christian Joel Epoupa. He made the 2017 Castle Lager Soccer Stars calendar while at Dynamos. But he is an outlier.
Most of the recent foreign imports have not offered anything beyond what local players already bring to the table, sometimes less. Still, clubs keep signing them.
CAPS United has four foreign players, including Zambian defender Chitoshi Chinga, who played for Chipolopolo in the COSAFA Championship; and 34-year-old Congolese striker Chris Mugalu.
Emmanuel Joseph Mbollo from Cameroon is also in the squad.
Scottland just signed Malawian forward Khuda Muyaba, formerly of South Africa’s Polokwane City. FC Platinum has two more Malawians, Nickson Nyasulu and Precious Phiri, along with Democratic Republic of Congo’s Guyve Mawete.
Even newly promoted sides like MWOS and Yadah Stars are turning to foreign players.
And yet, since 2005, only one foreigner, Malawian Joseph Kamwendo, has won the Soccer Star of the Year award.
He did it with CAPS United, during their championship-winning run. Others, like Epoupa and former Black Rhinos striker Eli Ilunga, have made the Soccer Stars calendar, but the list is short.
Moses “Bambo” Chunga, a legend in Zimbabwean football, does not mince his words.
“Our football has gone to the dogs as we are now rewarding mediocrity,” says the Chegutu Pirates coach. “It’s not just about the calibre of players coming to Zimbabwe. We should also question those recruiting them. You must be above average if you are a foreign player.”
Chunga remembers when the league used to draw real talent.
Dynamos in the 1990s had Zambia’s Francis Kasanda and Sandras Kumwenda, plus George Owusu from Ghana, who even scored in the 1998 CAF Champions League final.
CAPS United’s 2004 and 2005 squads featured Kamwendo, Ian Bakala and Laughter Chilembe. Highlanders had stars like Kelvin Kaindu and Charles “Chief” Chilufya.
Names like Ferdinand Mwachindalo, Frank Mtawali and Hadji Tabala filled stadiums.
Zenzo Moyo, the former Highlanders striker who played in Europe, believes the time has come to set a higher bar.
“Maybe there should be a policy that compels clubs to recruit quality. Maybe we say only foreign players with five national caps can be signed,” Moyo says. “This issue is for ZIFA to fix.”
Joseph Mutau, who leads the National Soccer Supporters Association, agrees that fans deserve better.
“The drop in quality in recent years is a great cause for concern. The current crop of foreign players has nothing to offer in terms of improving our local game,” says Mutau. “Some clubs are buying mediocre, half-baked foreigners just for the sake of it.”
So, why do clubs keep bringing them in?
According to Farai Dhliwayo, a coach at Legends Academy, club executives are part of the problem.
“Our league has been a recycling ground for old players, old coaches, old tactics and old executives,” says Dhliwayo. “Executives give coaches unrealistic targets, forcing them to look beyond the borders for quick fixes.”
He adds that the scramble for instant results has opened the door for agents to push average players with inflated credentials.
“Some are worth their salt,” he says, “but the larger number have proven to be below par.”
Premier Soccer League CEO Rodwell Thabe sees it differently. He believes the influx of foreigners shows the league is on an upward trajectory.
“The interest in the game has risen,” Thabe says. “We’re grateful to all clubs for the competitiveness. They’ve made this league a destination for foreign players.”
Still, he agrees expectations should be higher.
“When you’re a foreign player, more is expected from you. We must protect our local talent and only attract quality from outside.”
There is even talk of introducing a cap on foreign signings, but Thabe says that decision lies with the football leadership.
Meanwhile, player agent Biggie Mabhidhi suspects some of these deals are less about football and more about money.
“I think some of these are just football deals by well-connected agents to fleece clubs,” Mabhidhi says. “So far, there is no single foreign player we can say is really adding value to the league.”
He has seen the contrast firsthand.
“When I take players to South Africa, like to Black Leopards, they have to be better than most of the squad. They must be top-tier. So, why are we importing players who are worse than our own?” he says.
The question lingers: Are foreign players raising the bar or lowering the standard?
Until clubs start valuing quality over origin, Zimbabwe’s love affair with foreign signings may remain more infatuation than inspiration.
The problem is double edged. Our own football has sank so low that even our own exports, players and coaches alike, are not performing. They are coming back home after a short stay. Low quality football generates low quality exports and also attracts low quality imports. This is a typical economic phenomenon. Look at consumer products and vehicles, education and medical services. They follow the same trend. If you generate something low quality, you are likely going to lose the meaning of quality and that’s what Zimbabwe football is all about. And if we elect people whose football management extends only as far as D1 and expect quality, then we are not raising the bar. In the next 4 to 5 years our football will at it’s lowest.