William Chirwa laid to rest

FOOTBALL legend William Chirwa was buried at Luveve Cemetery yesterday in a ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners.

He died at Mpilo Central Hospital on Friday last week after battling kidney failure since October.
Chirwa, a former Eastlands and Mashonaland FC goalkeeper, was remembered for his life off the pitch and his exploits between the posts.

The church service was held at CCAP Church in Old Lobengula, where he worshipped and sang in the church choir. A practical man, he personally laid the church’s floor tiles and regularly volunteered to do maintenance work.

The service drew family, former teammates, church members and residents from Lobengula and Njube. Speaker after speaker spoke of a quiet man devoted to his family and faith and of a goalkeeper, who earned respect in some of the toughest leagues of his era.

Christopher Mathonsi, who had a stint at Highlanders in the mid-1970s, said Chirwa stood out in a competitive Eastlands side that faced Bulawayo Wanderers, Highlanders, Rangers and Zimbabwe Saints.

“He was an outstanding player for Eastlands. That league was strong and very competitive,” said Mathonsi. “He was talented. It was not muti, it was ability.”

Chirwa was nicknamed “Gorilla” for his long reach and command of the penalty area.
Mathonsi said Chirwa was ranked among goalkeepers such as Rex Sheasby and Rob Jordan, who guarded the posts for the Rhodesia national team during that period.

One of his nine surviving children, Joseph, described his father’s death as a heavy blow.
“He leaves behind three generations of the Chirwa family. We have lost our pillar,” he said.

Born on August 5, 1940 in Nkhata Bay, Malawi, Chirwa moved to Zambia as a child. In 1952 he enrolled at Kawushi Primary School in Ndola before transferring to Itawa Upper Primary School where he broke into the first team in 1954.

After school, he joined Ndola United and played there until 1959. A visit to his parents, who were working at Dalny Mine in Chakari, changed the course of his career. He moved to Mutorashanga Mine and later Feoch Mine, where his reputation grew under senior player and coach, Jaison Muzambi. He shared the dressing room with Rio Tinto winger, Joseph Zulu.

In 1965, Feoch Mine won the Chamber of Mines title in Masvingo, one of the high points of his career. Four years later, Gaths Mine signed him.

A coaching clinic conducted by Tendai Chieza, the late Simon Machaya and James Nxumalo opened the door to Bulawayo. Chieza encouraged Chirwa to join Bulawayo Sables owned by Castle Breweries but the club opted to keep Rex Sheasby as first-choice goalkeeper.

A chance meeting with Mr Nyaguze at the Luveve shops led to his move to Eastlands, then chaired by former Dynamos chairman, Job Kadengu. In his first season in 1970, Eastlands won the Callies Floodlight Trophy and reached several finals and semi-finals.

Chirwa later earned a call-up to the Rhodesia national team camp, where he competed with Rob Jordan for the number one jersey. At one stage in his career, he even turned out as a winger.

In the 1980s, he coached How Mine, continuing his involvement in the game long after his playing days.