In memory of Willard Khumalo… Eulogy from the heartbroken

By Bernard Nzombe Muchemwa

“The Chibuku Trophy heads South” screamed the Herald on a dull Monday for the Dynamos faithfuls. Football died in Harare one sunny drenched Sunday afternoon.

Willard Khumalo “Wiz Kid” as he was affectionately known at some point of his illustrious career was the toast of a rare Highlanders win at Rufaro Stadium in a Chibuku Trophy Cup final in  1984.

He bundled the winner past another Bulawayo Pin Up Boy, Lucky “Elastic Lucky Deep, Duplex” Dube who had just parried back into play a Madinda ”Khatazile” Ndhlovu low scorcher on the left side of the Highlanders attack towards the Mbare end after a short corner. We were all crest fallen being fervent Dynamos supporters.

This did not dim our love for Willard, a true blue genius and a larger than life character. That day his left arm and hand were all bandaged but am not sure whether he was injured or it was football swagger. All what I know is I found myself wearing a white bandage in the next schools football games imitating my hero. Such is how this man was influential, influential to such an extent that he even charmed rival diehards fans.

His gallop is immortalized in our minds for eternity, a gallop which caused shrills at many a stadia across football boundaries, a gallop which sent many midfielders chasing wild geese, a gallop which saw him gallop into Zimbabwe’s football Hall of fame.

Willard Khumalo was a charismatic showman, affable and comical, comical yes as he sent the whole Nation chocking with deafening laughter with one of many of his famous quips which went like “heee , he is too beautiful to play football” a reference to South African Glamour Boy, Doctor “16V” Khumalo after his feeble show in the Bafana Bafana maiden appearance in a competitive international match at the Giant National Sports Stadium.

Zimbabwe posted a sensational 4-1 victory over their much fancied opponents who had landed bragging and bubbling with confidence. Little did they know that our portly Willard “Mahwii’ would gallop like an antelope and gallop he did reducing the famed “Shoe Shine and Piano Football to Shoe Dull Piano”.

Willard Khumalo’s performance shook the very foundation of South African football to it’s core with the inventor of Shoe Shine and Piano at Mamelod Sundowns known at some point as Double Action Sundowns, Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala getting the boot and the football system where the ball is knocked around aimlessly like piano keys was buried and never to resurrect again south of the Limpopo.

Players who had emerged from Apartheid as lily pop stars like “Ace” Khuse, Marks “Man Go Man” Maponyange, Shane Magregor, Steve Komphela were dumped because of our hero who sent them to the cleaners with his ball wizardry.

It is not everyday that you grow up idolizing a man and happen to live with him. We worshipped the ground Willard walked. He made us happy and Willard deserves a special place in our hearts.

When he came to Redcliff for ZiscoSteel FC “Simbi” and Lancashire FC “Chimbi Chimbi” Willard radicalized our social rendezvous, Zisco club with his ever flashing smile and demeanour which could melt even stones and a humbleness which was second to none.

Very accommodative and reaching out to all and sundry. Redcliff became a buzz as yesteryear stars came down to visit him. The likes of Zimabwe Saints legend Andrew “Mai Maria Kadengo”, Dynamos legend David Madondo to name but a few. Such was how magnetic our luminary was.

Ready to lend his hand in football matters, at whatever level as he illustrated during the Rukweza and JMS tournaments which ranked as the top most billings in social football tournaments in Zimbabwe in the late 90s and early 2000s when he barracked and kept lines for my Rukweza cheering us hoarse and we mellowed and questioned ourselves how on earth such a football giant could spend his valuable time doing duty for mere mortals like us.

After the match he came down where we were and at first I thought he was attracted by his fellow legends, Zimbabwe Saints starman Abie Senda, Bennedict “Grinder” Moyo , Redcliff football “Prince” Colin “Gosh” Zamani, Knight Mate, Nobert Zimuto ‘Disco Dancer’, Madinda Ndlovu, but instead Mahwi came straight to me and whispered treasured and durable words which have settled at the bosom of my heart.

So small as I was he let me know that his barracking was real. Redcliff was the epicentre of social football with teams travelling from all the four corners of Zimbabwe and having Willard down there was a gift.

Willard touched us with his humility and my second privileged encounter was during the Madison Trophy final when Lancashire FC humbled the Mighty Caps in the final at the giant NSS when we scaled the perimeter fence and flooded the pitch mobbing our hero and his reception was unbelievable under such circumstances, some mega stars will shove you away drunk with success. But Willard proved to us that he was human after all.

Go well Willard the colossus, Zimbabwean football will never be the same again without you. All we can do now is to reminisce on the fond memories etched in our minds. Every minute we had you in Redcliff was a great moment to cherish.

Thank you, Mahwi for making Zimbabwean football what it is today and for coming to us in Redcliff. We vicariously lived and experienced a life of a hero due to your presence.

Your demise happened when I was about to pen a piece on other generational victims of our football and I had to halt the pen mid air to spare a thought on you and pay homage to your sublime talents.

Goodbye the galloping Warrior, great in battle.

The writer, Bernard Nzombe Muchemwa is a football enthusiast , footballer and football organiser based in Australia and writes in his own personal capacity.