The Sunday Mail
THEY say it’s difficult to run away from Dendera music when one has the Chimbetu blood running in their veins.
Popularised by the late brothers Simon and Naison, the Dendera sound seems to be contagious within the Chimbetu clan.
Almost every Chimbetu fancies himself as a musician.
Simon’s brothers Briam and Allan also tried to strum it.
Simon and Naison’s sons Sulumani and Tryson are also into Dendera music.
Allan’s son Douglas is also an aspiring musician.
But there’s a Chimbetu who is determined to make his name away from the musical stage.
Wilmore Chimbetu, Naison’s son and Tryson’s brother, has his eyes firmly set on being a footballer and is earning his stripes at Premiership debutants, Herentals.
The 21-year-old is part of the Herentals squad that is set to face Dynamos at Rufaro this afternoon and the roving right back is relishing the clash.
“The Dynamos match is just another normal game, its potential three points for us,” boasted Wilmore, spotting the trademark Chimbetu family’s box cut hairstyle.
Wilmore revealed that both Sulumani and Tryson are fully supportive of his football dreams.
“My brothers Sulu and Tryson arranged trials at Dynamos some time last year but coach Mutasa said he couldn’t immediately take me on board as he had already finalised his squad.
“I then continued at Herentals and helped the team win promotion into the Premiership. And on Sunday (today), we play against Dynamos, probably the biggest game for us so far and everyone wants to impress,” said Chimbetu.
Herentals have hovered around the relegation zone since Match Day One of the 2018 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League race but Chimbetu believes “The Students” are now ready to move away from the red zone.
“Obviously, to us it’s all about surviving relegation. The start of the season was difficult but I think we have learnt a lot now. We are now confident of holding our own going into the second half of the season,” he said.
Naturally, the Dendera subject could not be skipped.
“Yes, the Chimbetus are popular with Dendera music and magitare haungazomatiza zvachose (you cannot completely divorce yourself from the music). Sometimes I am backstage when Tryson is playing but my career of choice is football.
“I can also play any guitar, I have the Dendera voice but I just thought a change from music would be better.
“I started taking football seriously when I was doing secondary school at Herentals College and my family supported me, so I pushed on,” revealed the football playing Chimbetu.
The lad used to play as a winger until Herentals owner and forward Innocent “Chidhara” Benza advised him to switch to defence.
“This is now my third year with Herentals, having joined when the club was still in Division Two. I was once a right winger but Chidhara told me I would make a good right back.
“I am enjoying my debut season in the top flight and as things stand I don’t think I will regret my decision not to plunge into music,” he said.
Chimbetu is married to Fatima Machakanja and the couple is blessed with a one-year-old son, Melchizedek.
