By Lot Chitakasha
From Bruce “ Jungleman” Grobbelaar to current Zimbabwe Warriors young goalkeeper, Tatenda Mukuruva, the nation of Zimbabwe has produced some great goalkeepers. Allow me to blow my own trumpet a bit by saying that I consider myself a custodian of the history of Zimbabwe football and I feel obliged to preserve as much of this history as possible.
Like my favourite writer Chinua Achebe once said, the lizard that fell from the iroko tree said I will praise myself if no one else did.. But I digress , this article will look at the great goalkeepers through various eras of our nation and they are many.
Let me talk briefly about the recent CAF awards, the best Africa based footballer which was won by Dennis Onyango the Mamelodi Sundowns and Ugandan Cranes goalkeeper. Many pundits, football experts and fans alike from the homeland felt that he did not deserve it because he was just a goalkeeper who did not have much influence on matches.
Their preference was Khama Billiat, an attacker. Many even went to the extent of claiming sabotage, positing that CAF and its unpopular President Issa Hayatou conspired to ensure that a Zimbabwean lost.
I however have great respect for goalkeepers and when they are rewarded as was the case with Dennis Onyango, I applaud the anointing. Goalkeepers are often ignored with attackers often hogging the limelight.
I personally think goalkeeping is an art and the performances can mean the difference between defeat or victory. Mkuruva proved it recently, he saved us from humiliation in the match against Senegal. I fail to understand why goalkeepers are taken for granted and yet their role is so pivotal.
I will now go back to the subject of the day, the great goalkeepers produced by our nation. Trying to rank players is always problematic, everyone have their preferences. I will avoid going down that route and just highlight their qualities.
I have consulted widely with the elders of football in Zimbabwe, the likes of Bernard Zikhali, Japhet Mparutsa and Laban Kandi to mention a few. They have helped me with information on the super cats of the past.
I will start with goalkeepers who are not often mentioned in everyday discourse but who were masters of their trade. Zebron Magorimbo the Zimbabwe Saints goalkeeper was an amazing goalkeeper with great aerial agility and command.
According to Bernard Zikhali the former Ziscosteel striker turned coach, Zebron’ s only weakness was his grip especially with hard and low shots. Bernard Zikhali also talked about Victor Dhliwayo whom he regards as one of the best goalkeepers to emerge from the country. He declared that it was difficult to find any weakness in this great goalkeeper.
Edmos Pazvakavambwa, a former Gweru United midfielder and a reliable source of football knowledge concurred. He rated Victor Dhliwayo as one of the best to emerge before independence.
When people discuss great goalkeepers they often forget the early keepers like Josiah Akende, Charles Gwatidzo, John Revai, Mathew Mwale and Laban Kandi who made Dynamos a dominant force before independence. I have done an article on Laban “Black Cat” Kandi who was a top keeper for Dynamos , Rio Tinto and Zimbabwe Saints. Japhet Mparutsa the 1982 Soccer Star of the year
regards Laban as his mentor and role model. The man who taught him the early tricks of the trade. He also has great respect for Mathew Mwale whom he regards as his favourite all time goalkeeper and one he always emulated.
Before independence, goalkeepers also cut across racial boundaries. When discussing white or mixed race players, people quickly talk about Bruce Grobelaar and after independence Peter Fanwell, Karim Abdul, Nat Bismark and Duncan “Zico” Ellison. For the pre-independence era, it is worthy to mention the likes of Rob Jordan a great goalkeeper of this era.
According to Collin Matiza, other notable white goalkeepers who deserve honour include John “Seke Mutema” Humphreys, Rex Sheasby and Stewart “Giri the cat from Wedza” Gilbert..interesting nickname here. He was of mixed race. Collin narrates that Stewart or Sikalo as he was also known was a brave goalkeeper.
According to Collin Matiza, during one match, a hard shot hit him right in the face, after staggering a bit he steadied himself and said, “Come on, is that all you got, bring it on…” daring the striker to take another shot. He was a brave man indeed.
A number of goalkeepers started their careers in the pre-independence era and continued well into the New Zimbabwe. Those who easily come to mind in this regard are Posani Sibanda, Raphael Phiri, Musa Muzanenhamo, Peter Nkomo, Stephen Chisango, Big Mike Mhlanga, Weekly Mwale and Booker Muchenu.
According to Tonderayi Chanakira an Archivist by trade, most good goalkeepers came from mining towns. He points to Posani Sibanda, Raphael Phiri,Weeky Mwale and Frank Mkanga to validate his point. Chanakira waxes lyrical about Posani Sibanada who played for Hwange and Chibuku Shumba before going back to Hwange. His agility and ball distribution made him a top goalkeeper of his generation.
Allow me to share a snippet on Booker Muchenu. According to one legend, Booker would go for a swig of the traditional brew before doing duty for his team Black Aces. Despite this aberration, the man was unbeatable and maybe the holy waters also gave him the proverbial Dutch courage. It would take monumental effort to beat Booker when he was in that mood.
Many goalkeepers made their name in the post independence era, Brenna “Baba VaGari” Msiska, Japhet”Shortcat” Mparutsa ,Langton Marizani , Ranga Mtunga, Lucky Dube ,Nat Bismark, Peter Fanwell, Emmanuel Nyahuma, Fanuel Ariberto, Peter Nkomo, Mike Mhlanga ,John Sibanda, Lazurus Pararayi, Duncan Ellison among others. A lot has been written about these legends but let me focus on just three.
Brenna Msiiska was a good keeper who was good with penalty saves. His time wasting antics were also legendary .Duncan Ellison the last white goalkeeper to grace the league after independence was a good keeper but who always came unstuck when facing Moses Chunga.
Bambo as Chunga is also known as often boasts that he made Duncan Ellison speak Shona.. the “Makai Moze!” statement has now been embedded in Zimbabwe football folklore.
Lucky Dube was a top goalkeeper but according to Japhet Mparutsa he did not like diving in the mud especially on rainy days when grounds became swampy. I kind of understand why ,he was tall ,handsome and always smart, I guess rolling in the mud was not his cup of tea.
I also remember Emmanuel “Shumba” Nyahuma, a very good goalkeeper who was also a very good penalty taker. Lazarus “Socks” Pararayi was a good keeper while at Bata Power, then he moved to
Black Rhinos. He was in direct competition with Japhet Mparutsa…he stood no chance. I always wonder why he did not move but he preferred to sit on the bench for years, strange decision for a man of his talent.
AS the elder statesmen retired ,new keepers came to the fore.Muzondiwa “Lazy Mzo” Mugadza,so nicknamed for his languid disposition, Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi..renowned for his antics in goal. He performed some risky one too, saving the ball then throwing it against the upright. I am sure the fans held their breath then.
His time wasting antics were also legendary. Nelson Bandura, George Mudiwa, Ernest Chirambadare, Abdul Karim, Tapuwa Kapini, Amon Chimbalanga, Ernergy Muramabadoro, Soccer Star of the year 2003, dominated proceedings for over a decade. These were top goalkeepers who served the nation with distinction.
Others who deserve honourable mention are Tirivavai Sithole ,Amon Chimbalanga ,Innocent Hwiridza, George Chigova, Washington Arubi ,Soccer Star of the year 2011, Ben Nzelengwe ,Ephraim Mazarura, all top goal keepers in their own right.
Earlier I said ranking players is difficult but I cannot resist the temptation of mentioning my top three. I will bite the bullet and say Bruce Grobelaar, Japhet Mparutsa and from what I have heard from legends like Bernard Zikhali, I will go for Victor Dhliwayo on position three.
Currently the nation has top goalkeepers and the future in this department is very bright indeed. Tatenda Mkuruva, Donovan Bernard, Petros Mhari are competing for the number one jersey at national team level. If they can be half as good as the goalkeepers of yesteryear, then they will have done justice to this pivotal position in any team.
