The Sunday Mail
Makomborero Mutimukulu
EVEN on days when he is terribly off form, Herentals forward Innocent Benza (pictured) is still the crowd favourite. Every touch triggers cheers, many of them exaggerated. And the 44-year old midfielder knows how to play his adoring fans. Benza gives them what they want: shimmies, out-foot passes and – perhaps
most importantly – gallons of Chibuku Super so that they can cheer his team without running dry.
Move over Jomo Sono, this is Innocent Benza, the owner, captain and sometimes assistant coach of Northern Region Division One side, Herentals.
With heavily strapped ankles and knees, Benza – who plays in the same team as his 16-year-old son Tinotenda – uses his head to compensate for the lack of skill and pace.
He also has this unorthodox way of taking advice from the stands and asking his team to implement some of it.
At the National Sports Stadium last weekend with the game tied at 0-0, the Herentals fans felt their team was giving Chegutu Pirates too much room to play.
They knew who to call: “Mudhara, mudhara huyai apa (Old man, old man, play here).”
Benza – ever the show man – drew closer to the byline and downloaded the advice, all the time nodding his head.
The skipper relayed the message and as fate would have it, the next five minutes saw Herentals surging into the lead; Blessing Majarira getting on to the end of a Benza set-up.
Majarira wheeled to the corner flag in celebration.
Benza headed to the fans and everyone else followed him, including the goal scorer, after he had realised that trying to take away the spotlight from Benza was a zero sum game.
Wilmore Chimbetu secured the points with a second half strike but the star of the show was Benza, who also set him up with a toe-poked through ball.
Fans mobbed Benza after the final whistle, like they always do, with the lucky ones getting some greenbacks in return for their adulation.
Interviewing the Herentals owner was a mission-and-a-half. His security team seemingly believed the writer also wanted part of the dole that was being dished out.
But Benza is a PR master, he stopped and signalled for the musclemen to step aside.
“I am shocked that you are here … oh I see you are here because there is no premiership action in Harare isn’t it?” Benza asked.
“No I am here because I am football man, I paid my way. You are richer because of my dollar,” was the reply.
“It’s worth it because we gave you show. We play much better football that those boys you are always writing about,” smiled Benza.
My guy, you are 44 and you play with bandaged knees and ankles, why torture yourself?
“I love the game,” Benza said. “This is for the love of the game. Some can say maybe I should just sponsor the team as well as the Warriors but to me that is not enough. I also want to play and today you saw the value I add to the team.
“I don’t make the first XI because I am the owner of the club; I make the team because the coach appreciates that I bring value to the team.”
Herentals team manager team manager Oliver “Olaya” Chirenga said Benza knows how to separate his roles.
“From the outside it looks awkward but when you work with him you will realise that Benza is a professional. When he started playing the boys shied away from criticising him but now they tell him ‘no mudhara you should have played it first time’ and he appreciates it because he is a football guy,” he said.
