The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
ORDINARILY, Zimbabwe’s Independence celebrations would have been capped by a football match, but in an era defined by the Covid-19-induced lockdown, the country yesterday marked 40 years of Uhuru in unusual circumstances.
For arguably domestic football’s greatest son, Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa, the Independence celebrations were also a time to go down memory lane, reflecting on a colourful career that saw him captain and coach the Warriors and setting records along the way.
Yet, just because of this game, which has made him such an easily recognisable figure in Zimbabwe’s history, Chidzambwa was forced to wed his beloved wife, Constance Jiro, while on crutches.
Chidzambwa was still 31 and a no-nonsense Dynamos centre-back when he fractured his right leg a week before his wedding.
Rio Tinto’s Joseph Zulu was the man who ended Chidzambwa’s career with a crude tackle, and up to this day, the nation’s most successful coach still walks with a famous limp.
Clad in a three-piece suit, a white shirt and a black bow tie, Chidzambwa looked immaculate as he hobbled down the aisle in crutches at a colourful wedding ceremony at the University of Zimbabwe Chapel in Harare on October 1 1983.
The wedding ceremony was presided over by then-Zimbabwe president, the late Canaan Banana, who was a reverend.
“I was injured a week before my wedding, so there was no time to cancel the occasion because we had sent out invitations.
“Some top Government officials had also been invited, so we had to carry on with the ceremony,” recalled Chidzambwa.
That injury ended Chidzambwa’s career and Zimbabwe’s first national team captain was fast-tracked into coaching.
Chidzambwa has not kept any grudge against Zulu, a Rio Tinto legend who graced the Soccer Star of the Year calendar on 10 occasions between 1970 and 1980.
“Injuries are normal in the game of football; that is the nature of the game. You cannot do anything about it. So, there was no need for me to keep a grudge.”
It is, however, indisputable that after winning four league championships with DeMbare as a player between 1980 and 1983, Chidzambwa became the nation’s most illustrious football coach.
He was the first coach to guide Zimbabwe to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia in 2004.
Again, last year he was in charge of the Warriors at the same tournament in Egypt.
He remains the only domestic club coach to reach the CAF Champions League final — a feat he achieved with a well-knit Dynamos side of 1998 that lost 2-4 to Cote d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas in the two-legged final.
Mhofu, as he is fondly called, is regarded as “Mr COSAFA” in some football circles thanks to his record-breaking achievements in the Southern African competition.
Zimbabwe have won six COSAFA Cup titles, four of them under Mhofu, who claimed the 2003, 2009, 2017 and 2018 accolades.
He is the only coach in the region with such a coveted record.
However, Chidzambwa has remained humble.
“It has not all been about Mhofu (Chidzambwa), there are a lot of people who made me who I am today. There are a lot of incidences that taught me some harsh football lessons along the way.
“I worked with some fine players who also played their part in making the name Chidzambwa. You talk of Peter Ndlovu, Memory Mucherahowa, Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona.”
Aston Villa, Brazil and Reinhard Fabisch are some of the names one will not afford to omit when putting together Chidzambwa’s curriculum vitae.
He was one of the few lucky Zimbabwean footballers who were seconded for a one-month attachment with English side Aston Villa in 1981.
He was still 29, but Dynamos, who were then under the chairmanship of Shepherd Murape, had seen some qualities in Chidzambwa and were already preparing him for a coaching role.
He went to Villa alongside former Zimbabwe Saints player Steve “Dude’’ Kwashi and ex-De- Mbare midfielder Shaw “Kojak” Handriade.
“If you combine that Aston Villa attachment with my coaching courses in Brazil and add my stint as one of the assistant coaches to Fabisch during the Dream Team era, you will get a complete Sunday Chidzambwa,” said the veteran gaffer.
“People might have differing opinions about Fabisch, but he was a fantastic coach. I learnt a lot from him.
“It was Fabisch who taught me the skill to study opponents. He put more emphasis on the opponents and his formations would change according to the team we were playing.
“The way he conducted his team talks was just out of this world. You could feel the adrenaline rushing whenever he started talking, perhaps that is why that Dream Team went on to be a force to reckon with.”
Chidzambwa won his first league championship as coach in 1985 with Dynamos, a year after returning from a coaching course in Brazil, where he was introduced to the 3-5-2 formation that would be his hallmark for the better part of his career.
He is still a disciple of the formation and is an avid admirer of Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo, whose transformation of English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers has won him global plaudits.
“Back then we used a sweeper in the 3-5-2 formation, but over the years the sweeper role fell out of favour as more coaches adopted a flat back four.
“However, there are teams which still use this formation and Wolves are one of them. I do follow Nuno a lot; I admire his style.
“When you have the ball, you attack as a team and when you lose possession, everyone goes behind the ball,” he said.
Chidzambwa won more league titles with Dynamos in 1986, 1995 and 1997.
He also played some part in the club’s league titles in 1989, 1991 and 1994.
“I went to Brazil for my first coaching course with Obadiah Sarupinda. The course was highly subscribed as there were a number of Africans there.
“I remember from Zambia there was Freddy Mwila. During my second coaching course in 1986, I mingled with the likes of Malawi legend Jack Chamangwana.”
From the blue, something unthinkable happened in 1989.
Chidzambwa crossed the great divide and joined CAPS United as Freddy Mkwesha’s assistant. He lasted only one and half years at Makepekepe.
“He (Mkwesha) gave me a lot of freedom to the extent that I was more like the head coach. I enjoyed that period a lot as it gave me more exposure. There were some bit of politics here and there, probably because I had come from Dynamos but we achieved quite a lot. When I was sacked the team was on top.
“Football is football … it doesn’t matter where you are coaching. Yes, I am Dynamos but when it comes to work, I can work anywhere. It is about putting food on the table.”
He returned to Dynamos and won the 1995 and 1997 league titles.
African Safari
The 1997 championship gave birth to what has remained a rich piece of Zimbabwe’s football history.
Dynamos went on to do the unthinkable in the 1998 Champions League.
A lot happened in the second leg of that final, including Memory Mucherahowa’s head-butting incident during warm-up at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.
With the benefit of hindsight, Chidzambwa feels his side would have done things differently if given a second chance.
“We were too nice. In African football you have to be aggressive, you don’t have to be too nice. You have to be rough and tough. There were a lot of dirty tricks at play but back then we were not yet initiated.
“A lot happened in that final, especially in the second leg when Memory was head-butted by a supporter who was part of ASEC Mimosa’s warm-up programme.
“You know Memory was a very special player, without him it was difficult. But we also missed two golden chances in the first five minutes and at that level you don’t do that.
“We had also lost key players Vitalis Takawira, Claudius Zviripayi, Tauya Murehwa and Kaitano Tembo who moved to foreign clubs during that season. I think we would have fared better if we had these players.
“We also missed glorious chances, especially in the first five minutes of the game. Makwinji (Soma-Phiri) and George Owusu had clear chances which they fluffed.
“I am not laying the blame on them, it happens in football but in this game, especially at that level, you just have to put away chances.”
Maiden AFCON dance
However, his most cherished football moment since Independence remains the 2004 Nations Cup qualification.
“I was at Raylton Sports Club when news broke that we had qualified as one of the best runners-up. Some students from the University of Zimbabwe stormed Raylton and literally forced me onto a trailer of a lorry that was in the car park.
“They ordered me to address them and I did so before they marched to Cresta Lodge where the players were camped. In the high-density areas there were parties all over.”
Marimo to Chidzambwa
For the better part of his career he was Sunday Marimo before the change to Chidzambwa.
How did this happen?
“I was born Sunday Chidzambwa and my birth certificate has that name. However, when I went to process my national identity card, I was accompanied by my grandfather Misheck Marimo Chidzambwa since my father (who was a policeman) was away on duty.
“The officer at the Registrar’s Office then entered my grandfather’s second name Marimo as my surname. I became Sunday Marimo.
“So, when I joined Metal Box, I used that name on my national ID but my passport had the name Sunday Chidzambwa.
“I then moved to Dynamos and the name Sunday Marimo carried on. But I had to regularise it, so I went on to change my full name to Sunday Marimo Chidzambwa.”
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During his decorated career, Mhofu has also had stints in South Africa where he coached Umtata Bush Bucks, Free State Stars and Black Leopards.
Locally, his last club job was with ZPC Kariba, which he coached between 2015 and 2017.
Basics
Chidzambwa also gave his assessment of Zimbabwe’s football.
“We need to get back to basics. Let us go back to the grassroots and revive our junior football development programmes. We will never go wrong.
“I also feel that most coaches tend to concentrate on urban talent, at the same time neglecting immensely gifted players in remote areas. There is a lot of talent out there.
“That’s how we discovered the late Watson Muhoni at Dynamos. He was brought by a supporter who had watched him in Kadoma.
“Watson (Muhoni) preferred to play right-back but I soon discovered that he would make a great centre-back, so I converted him. Pity he died young but I assure you he would have gone places.”
Sunday and Micheck are the famous siblings from the Chidzambwa family but there are two other unheralded brothers, Emmanuel (the first born) and Simbarashe (the last born).
“Emmanuel played for Dynamos up to Under-18 level, while Simbarashe turned out for BAT Ramblers before pursuing studies in Yugoslavia. He (Simbarashe) is now based in Australia.”
Mhofu, who turns 67 on May 4, is blessed with two children – Tinotenda (36) and Batsirai (30).
Strangely, none of his boys pursued football.
“Tino played as a striker at St George’s before abandoning the game for studies. He is now a holder of a degree in marketing.
“Batsirai was a central defender at St George’s. The two brothers are now in the music industry and they also sell children’s wear in Harare.”
As he celebrates Uhuru this weekend, Chidzambwa will also reflect on a career that has seen him nurturing a number of coaches who are currently plying their trade in local and foreign leagues.
A closer look at the current crop of coaches shows that at some stage in their careers, most of them passed through Mhofu’s hands, either at Dynamos or at the national team.
Moses Chunga, Kalisto Pasuwa, Ian “Dibango” Gorowa, Kaitano Tembo, Taurai Mangwiro, Tonderai Ndiraya, Lloyd Mutasa, Biggie Zuze and Lloyd Chitembwe, Norman Mapeza, Kennedy Chihuri, Rahman Gumbo, Brenna Msiska and Madinda Ndlovu are some of the coaches who played under Chidzambwa.
