The Sunday Mail
ON THE BALL with Charles Mabika
IT was emotionally touching but, however, bathed in stunning splendour.
A few moments before the start of the Spanish Super Cup’s first leg tie between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu last Tuesday night, a five-person mini-orchestra, comprising two female violinists, one male drummer, one male guitarist and a male conductor, played a song in tribute to Real Madrid’s former goal scoring sensation, Alfredo Di Stefano.
The late Argentine forward, who played both for his native country and his adopted nation of Spain at international level, passed away on July 7 this year, aged 88.
His phenomenal exploits in front of goal saw him scoring in every European Cup (now European Champions League) final that Los Blancos played and won in a staggering and consecutive five-year spell (1956-1960).
When he died, he was on the executive board of the Spanish giants.
A gigantic banner that covered almost half of one stand on that Tuesday night at the Bernabeu, had a simple but striking message emblazoned on it: “Gracias Alfredo” (“Thank you, Alfredo”). And as the band played on, the 60 000-plus crowd and both sets of players, who had already lined up on the pitch, joined in song and applause as they remembered the prolific player.
How many times have we had a similar occasion in this country, to pay tribute to our fallen football greats?
None! It has never been done at our stadia.
It appears as if the moment our players hang up their boots or are injured permanently, we completely forget about them. And when they die, it’s even worse because we don’t even bother to attend their funerals or bear to hear mention of their names!
Just look at some of these late mega stars who lit up our stadiums nationwide and see if you still remember some of them at all – Paul Tsumbe, John Dube (St Paul’s); Steven Chimedza, Ben Zinyama (Dynamos); Fanuel Ncube, Amon Chimbalanga (Highlanders); William Sibanda, Onias Musana (Zimbabwe Saints); Todd Chitimbe, Tobias Moyo (Caps United) and Reginald Paizee, Stewart Gilbert (Arcadia United).
Last week, former Warriors Hwange and Monomotapa forward Edmore “Marazor” Chitato passed away after a long heart ailment, a disease that could have been remedied if he had managed to get the necessary funding.
When he was buried at Granville Cemetery, only his relatives and a handful of his former team mates like Edward Tembo and Masimba Mambare, turned up to bid him farewell.
Where were the leaders of our football? Where were the rest of his former playing colleagues? Where were the representatives of the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters’ Association and the Friends of the Warriors?
Every one of us has to take full blame for this appalling behaviour when it comes to sparing just a few moments of our “precious time” to salute the priceless contributions made by our fallen footballers.
Politicians in this country are a wonderful lot when it comes to remembering and honouring our fallen heroes. Why the football fraternity has not followed suit will always be a mystery to me. How much does it cost us to organise a simple “ritual” like the spectacle at the Santiago Bernabeu to honour Di Stefano?
It can’t be very much, I can assure you. I’m not saying that every former footballer who passes on should have such a ceremony in his/her honour. Not at all. Why can’t we do it for one or two players per club who would have given their most valuable services at any given time?
At least that notion could help in our appreciation of the immense joy and delight that their silky skills brought us.
There has also been talk by Zifa of setting up a hall of fame for the country’s soccer greats. We are still waiting for that to happen.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to walk into an ornamental housing bearing large statues – or even pictures – of luminaries of late and living legends like Freddy “Dusty King” Gotora, George “The Mastermind” Shaya, Moses “Razorman” Chunga, Peter “Nsunkuzonke” Ndlovu, Adam “Adamski” Ndlovu, Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa, Tymon “White Horse” Mabaleka and Max “Shaluza” Tshuma, just to name a few?
Remember to take care of your loved ones and each other. Till next week, it’s bye-bye for now.
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