Injury blessing in disguise for Ruzario

07 Jul, 2024 - 00:07 0 Views
Injury blessing in disguise for Ruzario

Langton Nyakwenda

THABANI RUZARIO (pictured) shared the same dressing room with the legendary former Zimbabwe football national team captain Peter Ndlovu before injury forced him to quit the game.

But then, another avenue opened for him and now he has no regrets.

He is one of the two Zimbabwean referees at the COSAFA tournament in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which ends today.

The Warriors might have crashed out of the regional tourney, but the country’s flag is still flying high in Port Elizabeth, thanks to the presence of Ruzario and the revered Brighton Chimene.

Ruzario took charge of his first international match when Angola beat Seychelles 3-2 in a Group C match at Wolfson Stadium on Monday last week.

He brandished four yellow cards in a game that produced five goals.

The 35-year-old Ruzario was the fourth official in a World Cup qualifier between hosts Libya and Mauritius in Benghazi on June 6, with Chimene at the centre.

In a country whose top-flight league has been blighted by cases of poor officiating, Ruzario has emerged as a shining light in the game. He is no stranger to disappointing times himself as he encountered his own demons when injury forced him to quit playing football in 2016.

This was after turning out for Border Strikers, Quelaton and Chicken Inn, among other teams.

Ruzario played for DSTV Rangers and Twalumba FC in the Northern Region Division One League.

It is at Twalumba where he shared the dressing room with the legendary Ndlovu, who retired from the game while playing for the team in 2012.

“It was a great honour to play alongside the great Peter Ndlovu. I remember the team had the likes of Ian Nekati, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, Valentine Kadonzvo and Protasho Kabwe,” said Ruzario.

In 2010, he suffered an injury and that is when the idea of becoming a referee came up.

Three years later, he enrolled for his first refereeing course while still a player.

“I was inspired by great referees of the past and I also wanted to secure my future because a player’s career is short,” said Ruzario.

In 2017, he was appointed as an official in the Eastern Region Soccer League, before graduating into the Premier Soccer League four years later.

Ruzario is now one of the few centre referees from Zimbabwe on the FIFA panel, alongside Chimene, Lawrence Zimondi, Grace Gimo, Thanks Nyahuye, Tichaona Mbire and Mercy Mayimbo.

The COSAFA tournament in South Africa has been a revelation for him.

Goalkeeper Raphael Pitisi and striker Michael Tapera, who were part of Zimbabwe’s squad, hail from Zengeza 1 in Chitungwiza. Ruzario lives in the same neighbourhood.

“It was so interesting, realising that the boys from my neighbourhood were also here at the COSAFA tournament. We are brothers from long back, and I am happy for their achievements,” said Ruzario.

“Nothing is impossible with God; you get what you ask for from Him. In life, one has to be proactive.”

His promotion to the FIFA panel at the end of last year came as a shock.

“I have officiated a number of tense matches, but I have managed. No game is easy. And it’s not easy to make it onto the FIFA panel.” Ruzario urged active footballers to prepare for life after retirement.

“From the onset, players should stay away from drugs and I keep praying for the youths,” he said.

He has been learning a lot at the COSAFA Cup, especially from top referees like Chimene, the best referee in the country at the moment.

“COSAFA has been a very good experience as I am meeting top international referees,” he said.

“But, at the end of the day, it’s not about my name; it’s about representing Zimbabwe.”

Share This: