Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ALMOST every day we hear or read about sport legends, especially in football.
The term legend is now so common that it has reached a point where it’s sometimes abused.
It’s now like any former player should be referred to as a legend.
But perhaps there is nothing wrong with calling anyone that played football a legend because we all seem not to have a definitive position of what a legend is.
Some may argue and say legend is subjective, but is it not supposed to be an issue of being objective?
If we are to be subjective then anyone will be a legend, depending on who is saying that.
A legend is described as a person of extraordinary accomplishments in their field.
That is what we should all use to ascertain if a person is a legend or not. There must be an element of extraordinary accomplishment, something almost out of this world.
We cannot have any player that kicked a ball or anyone who took to the track to run or anyone who bought golf clubs and took to the fairways as a legend.
The same applies to administrators; not everyone that held or holds office automatically fit the legend tag.
Some athletes can achieve legendary status at national team or even international level.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, for example, is a Barcelona legend and an international football legend in his own right, but not many will qualify him as an Argentine national team legend.
At local level, former tearaway striker Peter Ndlovu is without doubt a national and international football legend, but when it comes to his childhood team Highlanders, the matter becomes subjective.
It’s left to personal views.
The other legendary stuff about Nsukuzonke is that he was and still is a first direct export from an amateur football club to the English Premier League.
Ndlovu was also captain of the Warriors’ squad that made its debut appearance at the 2004 Afcon finals where a good fraction of the players that were his teammates had taken part in the Peter Ndlovu Youth Football Tournament.
His elder brother Madinda is without any doubt a Highlanders’ legend.
Five-time Soccer Star of the Year George Shaya is in the same bracket with Madinda; the only difference being that Shaya is a Dynamos legend.
In athletics, the late Artwell Mandaza comes out unrivalled as an athletics legend.
His 1970 100m dash in 9.9 seconds is stuff of legends.
There is need, therefore, to properly tag these sportspersons.
Just because someone played football in the 1970s and is still alive today does not necessarily make them a legend; it’s not about age, but accomplishments.
A select few of our sportspersons are fit to be labelled as legends, while most are just former sportspersons.
Individual clubs and national associations must set their own yardstick on what qualifies someone to be a club or national legend.
For example, it’s a legendary accomplishment for ex-defender Thulani ‘Biya’ Ncube to have captained the national Under-23, senior national team and Highlanders all in one year.
Below are views from the sports sector on what legend is.
Brian Moyo (sports administrator)
Contentious issue at the moment; my take is that a legend is one whose event or performance far outlives the performer, and is retold in different generations.
Our sporting institutions perhaps need to design yardsticks to qualify this feat, be it through setting new records, breaking standing records, longevity, spectacular achievements etc.
Without set parameters, the gloss is mired in subjectivity and strong opinion.
Juma Phiri (administrator, former athlete, national high jump record holder)
I believe a legend is a person that has served in whatever sport in flying colours and diligently.
Bongani Mafu (Uefa badge holder, current Hwange FC coach)
A legend is a person described in a genre of folklore (story) that consists of a narrative featuring human actions perceived or believed both by teller and listeners to have taken place within human history to unbelievable standards.
Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the tale hair raising qualities.
Legends are decided by narrators to depict high quality prowess. Legends in football exist at various levels.
Village – best performing player in terms of doing actions that incredibly won matches.
Team – stupendous continuous ability to put up mesmerising play leading to cup, league wins.
National – exploits that lifted the country to dizzy heights.
Daniel Kuwengwa (former SRC director)
A legend can be anyone in different fields such as arts, sport even academics. By definition a football legend is someone who would have retired from playing the game, but the key issue is that his performance during his playing days would have been very exceptional.
He must have won a number of notable accolades even beyond the local football fraternity to continental or the world stage. Generally, legends are gauged/judged by their exceptional and unique performance as they do the unusual in football matches repeatedly over a certain period of time.
A name that may come to mind locally is George Shaya and on a global stage you will have the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and others. Legends are rare and not always easy to come by.
Muziwethu Hadebe (Sports commentator)
It is difficult to come with a straight definition of a legend, as we have at times over used or simply abused the word.
I, however, believe that a legend is someone who out performs those around him and delivers something that is special and is having an impact on those that he is competing against and those surrounding him like the fans and the community in general as well as making a strong contribution to the achievements of his team or grouping or his/her individual achievement.
Charles Mabika (Sports commentator)
In my view a legend is one who excelled in his discipline and is revered by many fans long after he/she has hung up his/her boots or gloves.
Online Reporter