Former Dynamos ‘keeper Usayi dies

By Takudzwa Chitsiga

FORMER Dynamos, Arcadia United and Rio Tinto goalkeeper George Usayi has died.  Nicknamed “Actor”, Usayi collapsed and died when he was about to take a bath at his home in Mbare on Monday.  He was 48. 

The agile goalkeeper will be buried today at 2pm at Granville Cemetery (Kumbudzi) in Harare.

Usayi began his football career in the early 1980s as a goalkeeper at Chirodzo Primary School and George Stark High School in Mbare in the late 1970s and early 1980s before he joined Dynamos as a junior player.

The Mbare-born goalkeeper later played for Arcadia United for a number of seasons before he packed his bags and headed to Kadoma where he joined Rio Tinto who were under the guidance of the late legendary coach John Rugg in 1986.

At Rio Tinto, the bald-headed Usayi had to fight for the first team jersey with former national team goal-minder Raphael Phiri and John Kaseke.

He also had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the club’s “greats” such Byron “Piri Piri” Manuel, Joseph Zulu, Wonder Phiri, Ephert Lungu, Lot Kaunda, Francis Nechironga, Ernest “Baby Face” Makhosa, Rainos Mapfumo and Abraham Mwanza.

Usayi played for Kadoma-based side Eiffel Flats and helped them to win the 1992 play-offs which enabled them to retain their Premiership status.

He also had a short stint at former Premiership side Shu-Shine at one point in his illustrious career.

At Shu-Shine, Usayi was at one stage the second-choice goalkeeper to fellow talented goal-minder Innocent Hwiridza.

After hanging up his gloves, Usayi did not completely leave football as he was active in social soccer until he joined the now-defunct Chitungwiza-based Premiership side Eagles as their goalkeepers’ coach.

Condolence messages were yesterday pouring in from people who knew and worked with him in the local soccer circles.

Former Dynamos captain Memory Mucherahowa said he has learnt with great shock about the death of his ex-teammate at DeMbare.

“I have learnt with great shock the passing on of former Dynamos goalkeeper George Usayi. May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace,” Mucherahohwa wrote on his Facebook wall from his base in England yesterday.

Former Dynamos goalkeeper Japhet “Shortcat” Mparutsa, ex-DeMbare team manager Malcolm Fourie and Francis Nechironga, who are all based in the UK, also sent their condolence messages to the Usayi family yesterday.

Former Eagles director Stan Kudenga said he was still to come to terms with the passing on of his former workmate and friend Usayi.

“Apart from being the goalkeepers’ coach at Eagles, George was also my friend as we started to know each other from our social club Mujoza FC where he was our goalkeeper.

“Our friendship grew until I formed Eagles FC and recruited him as our goalkeepers’ coach. At Eagles he worked with goal-minders such as Knowledge Jimu and Zondai Nyaungwa.

“I knew him as someone who was full of fun and it is a great loss to the local football fraternity as a whole,” said Kudenga.

Usayi is survived by his wife Elizabeth and three children — two girls Tariro and Vanessa, and one boy Tatenda.

Mourners are gathered at No. 47 Howman Road near Marowa Shopping Centre in Mbare. The Herald