Which was the best Warriors team?

Lovemore Dube

WHICH has been the best Zimbabwe senior national football team?

This is an oft asked question when the nation heads to a major tournament. It is quite a subjective question whose responses are a million and devoid of scientific evidence.

The magic of Stanford “Stix” Mutizwa, Shaky Tauro’s clinical finishing, the industry of Willard Khumalo, Joel Shambo, Shepherd Muradzikwa, Benjamin Nkonjera, George Shaya, Stanley Ndunduma and Archieford Chimutanda’s genius, the “make it happen” attitude by Madinda Ndlovu on the wing, the methodical build-ups from the back by Alexander Maseko and Ephraim Chawanda and the no-nonsense approach by Francis Shonayi and Kaitano Tembo added with the effectiveness of the mercurial Peter Ndlovu have been some of the highlights of previous national teams.

Without any scientific measure, there is a general feeling that standards of the game have gone down. The tight duels between stars of opposite teams are long gone with mediocrity the order of the day.

Supporters are rarely ejected off their seats by the brilliance on the field. More are up to check on off the field happenings on the terraces as a majority of the matches are a great yawn.

You don’t find communities under a tree listening to radio commentaries in numbers and bets placed. Nor do you find boys playing football on the streets calling themselves by any of present day national team players.

Back in the day national team players were cult heroes. They were men who would have proven themselves on the soccer field and won everyone’s admiration.

The Warriors that are in Egypt, a squad made up of players plying their trade outside the country has been dubbed the best ever.

They went into this tournament with expectations high that the nation would come of age. After a flattering start at the Afcon finals losing 1-0 to the hosts, Egypt, next opponents Uganda looked like a ram offering itself for sacrifice but the bubble burst in a not so inspiring 1-1 draw.

The highly rated stars were left dithering on the brink of exit with today’s clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo, a must-win encounter.

For all the hype about this bunch of players not one of them players in the elite league of any of the top European countries. Surprisingly star performances have come from Devine Lunga, Ovidy Karuru, Khama Billiat and Third Division-bound Edmore Sibanda who are all playing their club football in neighbouring South Africa.

These Warriors have to be commended for the manner in which they qualified for Afcon. They topped their group but critics will say in the absence of the big guns of the continent Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia that was expected.

The debate rages on that despite individually gifted boys like Billiat and Lunga, this crop may not compare with previous teams.

There is a thin line between the side that was at the last finals and this one. A majority of the players who were in that 2017 squad are part of this team that is in Egypt.

The older generation of football fans talk about the 1969 World Cup campaign squad that lost 1-0 to Australia in the qualifier for the finals of 1970 as having been a great grouping of magnificent talent.

Gibson Homela, Jimmy Finch, Freddy Mkwesha, Stephen Chimedza, Adolf Tigere, Josiah Nxumalo, James Nxumalo, George Shaya and Tendai Chieza are in a class high regarded by those that have watched national teams over five decades.

The defenders took no prisoners, midfielders and wingers excited fans with strikers good at finishing. There was class in the act, with great zeal for teamwork and an absorbing demand for results.

Move on to the 1970s where there were the likes of Daniel Chikanda, Sunday Chidzambwa, George Shaya, Oliver Kateya, Shaky Tauro, Shepherd Murape, Shadreck Ngwenya, Max Tshuma, Stephen Chuma, Posani Sibanda, Tymon Mabaleka, George Rollo, Bethal Salis, Amos Rendo, Josiah and Topsy Robertson, many believe a majority of these players could have played anywhere in the world.

The biggest undoing was the Colonial Master.

Britain never promoted sportspersons at its colonies even after independence. Those from French and Portuguese colonies were able to move either way and enhance their talents.

Had an opportunity in the 1960s and 1970s been availed to a great number of our footballers then, the talent would have blossomed at world stage.

While the debate rages on, enter the first team at Independence captained by Sunday Chidzambwa which coming from an 11-year isolation from international football was good enough to win a four-team tournament, had cream.

Chidzambwa found himself captaining the likes of Wonder Phiri, Onias Musana, Ephert Lunga, David Muchineripi, Stix M’tizwa, Joseph Zulu, Charles Sibanda, Frank M’kanga, David Mandigora, Max Tshuma, Tauro, Byron Emmanuel and Kateya. So good was this 1980 squad that legends like Rodrick Simwanza, Tymon Mabaleka, Rendo and Posani Sibanda, Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo and Stephen Chuma could not make it.

The remnants of the 1970s held the fort until the mid 1980s.

The 1980s mob, a majority of whom were wearing out when the Dream Team took off in 1991 or were at their pick, Joel Shambo, Stix M’tizwa, Willard Khumalo, Rahman Gumbo, Moses Chunga, Japhet Mparutsa, Ephraim Chawanda, Maronga Nyangela, Madinda Ndlovu, Ernest Mutano, Francis Shonhayi, Joseph Machingura, Boy Ndlovu, Henry Mckop, Melusi Nkiwane, Kennedy Nagoli, Paul Gundani, William Mugeyi, Moses Chunga, Mercedes Sibanda, Charles Chirwa, Shepherd Muradzikwa, Fabian Zulu, David Mwanza, Wilfred Mugeyi and Peter Fanwell were brilliant footballers.

That Madinda was able to impress in the English First Division later to be changed to English Premiership in 1985, speaks volumes of the talent previous national teams had.

Moses Chunga moved to Belgium, Gundani to England, Max Makanza (Lunga), Madinda, Chawanda, Mckop and Tito Paketh to Germany. With agents not available during those times our great stars were left to rot at home, retiring to poverty without anything to show for their brilliance and sweat.

Rahman Gumbo and Rambo were good enough to make the grade at Randers in Denmark.

Gumbo starred in Cyprus later with Agent Sawu.

Kennedy Nagoli, a member of the 1990s Warriors demonstrated that there is ample talent in this country when he became the first Zimbabwean to play in Brazil.

The Dream Team was a fusion of the 1980s developed players and the talent that came through in the early 1990s.

That era of the 1990s brought about so much hype solely on the charisma of Reinhard Fabisch. But like previous national teams they never qualified for any major tournament with the best achievement being the Cecafa Trophy in 1985.

The first squad that qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals had the likes of Peter Ndlovu, Dumisani Mpofu, Dazzy Kapenya, Kaitano Tembo, Thulani “Biya” Ncube, Agent Sawu, William Mugeyi, Wilfred Mugeyi, Esrom Nyandoro, Tinashe Nengomasha, Ronald Sibanda, Energy Murambadoro, Adam Ndlovu and Tapuwa Kapini.

They made their maiden appearance in Tunisia in 2004 and followed up with the likes of Edward Sadomba, Justice Majabvi, Hebert Dick and Dickson Choto.

Peter Ndlovu remains the only player to seemingly take matters into his own hands and lead by example.

A great number of the two teams’ players plied their trade abroad.

There is no doubt that there has been a sprinkling of good talent in this country.

It’s difficult to say which has been the best Zimbabwe team save to say at a given time those to make the grade have been among the best of that time.