A decade of excellence

Langton Nyakwenda

Sports Reporter

TEN years ago, around this time, Premiership giants Dynamos dangled an offer which Kalisto Pasuwa laughed off, in what was the beginning of an engagement that would yield the biggest smile of the past decade.

Lloyd Mutasa wanted to rope in longtime ally Pasuwa as his assistant after he was appointed DeMbare coach in February 2011, following the resignation of Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe.

Dynamos offered Pasuwa a US$300 salary which the gaffer swiftly rejected.

Pasuwa was coming from a stint as Moses Chunga’s deputy at CAPS United, who still owe him thousands of dollars up to this day.

When Mutasa appeared to be faltering, midway through that season, a desperate Dynamos leadership returned to Pasuwa, this time with a different offer.

DeMbare were 12 points behind log leaders FC Platinum when Pasuwa replaced Mutasa on August 8, 2011.

Pasuwa’s reign began with a 4-1 thumping of Shooting Stars before a series of gallant victories, including the 1-0 win at Mandava in the penultimate week, which saw DeMbare overtaking the miners in the title race, to win the 2011 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League in stunning fashion.

DeMbare bossed the Premiership under Pasuwa for four consecutive years until they were dethroned by Chicken Inn in 2015.

The four successive wins remain a national record for any top-flight coach. 

Dynamos won a rare “double-double” in 2011 and 2012 when they clinched the league title and the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

That was the beginning of a decade of excellence for Pasuwa, who is arguably the most successful Zimbabwean coach in the same period.

In fact, since Independence, only Pasuwa’s mentor, Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa, has done better.

After leaving DeMbare at the end of the 2014 season, Pasuwa went on to guide the national Under-23 team to the All Africa Games in 2015, before becoming the third coach to lead the Warriors to the African Cup of Nations finals in 2017.

The former midfielder achieved Nations Cup qualification with a game to spare.

Prior to that, he took the Warriors to the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals in Rwanda, before bagging two straight league titles with Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi in 2018 and 2019.

He was Ian Gorowa’s assistant when Zimbabwe finished fourth at the 2014 CHAN finals in South Africa.

Pasuwa has won a league title in every season he has coached a club since 2011.

Yet the former Dynamos midfielder has remained modest and preferred to heap praises on his mentors when he reflections on the past decade exclusively with The Sunday Mail Sport.

“I wouldn’t want to think I am the best but the most fortunate one,” said Pasuwa from his base in Malawi.

“Being the best alone is not a guarantee for success. I feel I have had that much success because of hard work and the right people around me.

“I can say my highest point has been my ability to remain the same Kalisto Pasuwa that I was in my first coaching days.

“I have never been led astray by the achievements God has granted me over the years, like winning a double-double in 2011 and 2012 as well as qualifying for the AFCON finals with a game to spare,” he said.

The 50-year-old gaffer has always occupied high-pressure jobs since 2011, taking charge of Dynamos, the national team, and Nyasa Big Bullets, Malawi’s most supported club.

“I was thrown into the deep end right from the beginning. You know the pressure that comes with coaching Dynamos, the national team and now here with Bullets, who are like Dynamos in every sense.

“My mode of operation that has seen me navigating through all obstacles that came my way has been listening more and talking less.

“Having an open door policy where I listen to everyone and always looking for advice. My way of doing things is to embrace every stakeholder and give them their due respect,” said Pasuwa.

He is the only coach to win four straight league titles in the Premiership era and automatically leads the log when it comes to achievements in the last decade.

Pasuwa has four league titles, Norman Mapeza has two while the trio of Joey Antipas, Lloyd Chitembwe and, Lizwe Sweswe has one apiece.

“The last decade has been so fruitful for me to be honest, and I genuinely want to thank God for that. You know with God’s favour, coupled with hard work and the zeal to learn, anyone can achieve more hence I am always working within those aspects.

“It’s very hard just coming from nowhere to make such an impact in a game where there are so many established coaches . . . I simply can’t afford to forget about that,” said Pasuwa.

Thanks to Pasuwa, a couple of players were given a platform at Under-23 level in the last decade and the majority of them graduated into the senior team.

Tino Kadewere, Tatenda Mkuruva, Teenage Hadebe, Kuda Mahachi , Devine Lunga, and Knox Mutizwa are some of the players who were groomed by Pasuwa in the last decade.

“I would say my major contribution to Zimbabwean football in the last decade has been to give young players a chance to showcase themselves.

“I also qualified for every tournament we competed for, save for the Olympic Games. Remember, I did not participate in the World Cup qualifiers.”

Failure to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil ranks as Pasuwa’s lowest moment, alongside the treatment he got from Dynamos in his last season in charge of the Harare giants.

The Young Warriors were knocked out by South Africa in the qualifying round for the 2015 Africa Youth Championships, which served as the qualifiers for the Olympic Games.

Zimbabwe lost 3-0 in Pietermaritzburg, after the first leg had ended 1-1 in Harare.

“I would say that was my lowest point.

“Just imagine half of the team playing on running tummies after a case of suspected food poisoning. It was a bad experience.”

Last season at DeMbare

Of the four league championships he won at DeMbare between 2011 and 2014, Pasuwa likes to talk about the last one.

Because it has negative memories!

“There were a lot of enemies that we had to fight along the way. The worst part was that some of the enemies were within the system,” revealed Pasuwa.

“Imagine some of your players being paid to lose a game. That is the reason I used more fringe players in the last game against How Mine. A lot was happening in our camp.”

Dynamos beat How Mine 2-0 at the National Sports Stadium, with goals from Russell Madamombe and skipper Murape Murape, to win the title in spectacular fashion ahead of favourites ZPC Kariba, who lost 3-2 to CAPS United at Gwanzura.

“I wouldn’t want to dwell much on my last days at DeMbare, it’s now water under the bridge but I have to admit things were tough. 

“No one gave us a chance to retain the championship, even our own executive, hence most of them were not even at the stadium for our final match. 

“They had already negotiated with a new coach who would take over after I would have failed to win the championship. 

“The support base just dwindled during that season, just to frustrate me, but the Almighty was always there for me and also some players were willing to fight for me. 

“I had people around me who were willing to let go of their last cent for me and with those people we won the championship,” reminisced Pasuwa.

So strained was Pasuwa’s relationship with the Keni Mubaiwa-led executive that the coach was nearly chucked out of a CAF A License course after the club refused to assist with fees.

“Had it not been for the intervention of Calvin Nyazema, who paid my fees, I would have missed that course.

“There were a lot of people behind the scenes like Johannes Butawo. This guy supported me through and through at Dynamos. 

“He was always there for me when things were tough. In one incident, the team could not give me transport to follow the team to Triangle.

“I had not travelled with the team because I was attending a CAF A course.

“Butawo drove me all the way. Things were just tough for me nguva iyoyo. To be honest, I owe a lot to these guys.”

Fortunately, Pasuwa had a bunch of players who combined talent and hard work, plus a massive band of fans who supported the gaffer throughout.

“I had a good understanding with the players and they were willing to fight for me. I was also prepared to fight for them in every terrain.

“I had both talent and hard workers. Imagine the likes of Tatenda Mkuruva, George Chigova, Partson Jaure, Tawanda Muparati, Denver Mukamba and Roderick Mutuma, just to mention a few.”

Just like at Dynamos, Pasuwa has cultivated a strong bond with Nyasa Bullets’ legion of supporters.

“There is a powerful bond between myself and Nyasa Big Bullets as a family, just as much as there was between the Dynamos family and me. 

“The fans of these two great clubs share a lot in common. They are always prepared to take care of the atmosphere around the stadium to motivate the team. I salute the two sets of fans,” said Pasuwa.

Although he was humiliated by the then Dynamos executive, with Mubaiwa at some point, bragging that he picked the coach from the streets, Pasuwa remains grateful to the former DeMbare president.

“I think I owe him (Mubaiwa) a lot for bringing me into the limelight.

“He took a gamble by appointing me head coach at Dynamos. I was not yet established and yet at that point Dynamos needed an instant solution.

“Everything else that happened between the two of us was purely on professional grounds. I would tell him my mind and he would tell me his.

“I have never and will never compromise my principles for any selfish gain.”

Tribute to mentors

As he basks in glory after conquering in the last decade, Pasuwa has a special place in his heart for three people.

Moses “Bambo” Chunga, Ian “Dibango” Gorowa and Chidzambwa.

“I learnt the trade from Sunday (Chidzambwa), no doubt about that,” says Pasuwa.

“Bambo gave me the confidence, he gave me the guts to stand on my own when it comes to coaching. I also learnt a lot from him when I was his assistant at CAPS United.

“I would really have wanted to win something with Bambo but unfortunately we couldn’t. Things were tough those days at CAPS United and up to this day, they still owe me some money.

“Gorowa then came in and moulded me into the coach I am today. He (Gorowa) gave me the philosophy and also the knowledge of modern football trends.”

Of the three of Pasuwa’s mentors, Gorowa has since drifted away from football and is now a Pastor with the Apolostic Faith Mission Church in South Africa, Chidzambwa has retired from active coaching while Chunga is still in the trenches with air force side Chapungu. 

Next week, Pasuwa reveals all about his long relationship with Lloyd Mutasa, and the possibilities of DeMbare and Warriors returns.