The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
ONLY six years after their formation, they became the second Zimbabwean side, after Dynamos, to reach the group stage of the prestigious CAF Champions League.
Three years after gaining promotion into the Premier Soccer League, Monomotapa were crowned champions under the tutelage of Norman Mapeza, who quit the club in a huff a few months after that momentous occasion.
Monomotapa — “Monoz” or “Chinomakwa Nani’’ as they were later affectionately known — left a lasting legacy in an eventful nine-year stint in the Premier Soccer League.
They made their debut in 2005, won the championship under Mapeza in 2008, reached the CAF Champions League mini-league phase when they were led by Rodwell Dhlakama in 2009 and were relegated in 2013, under the guidance of the late Biggie “Nzou” Zuze.
As the football fraternity slowly comes to terms with Zuze’s death, the legacy left by Monomotapa cannot escape the minds of many.
Their fairytale run in the 2009 Champions League, during which they knocked out 1998 winners Asec Mimosas en-route to the group stage, helped earn Zimbabwe an extra slot in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of Africa’s premier inter-club competition.
Zimbabwe has had nine champions since the Premiership’s inception in 1993 — Highlanders, Dynamos, CAPS United, Amazulu, Monomotapa, Gunners, Motor Action, Chicken Inn and FC Platinum.
However, only four champions — Dynamos who reached the final in 1998, Monomotapa (2009), CAPS United (2017) and FC Platinum (2018 and 2019) — have reached the group stage of the Champions League.
“The brand we created at Monomotapa, the legacy we created and the contribution we made to local football will remain unmatched by a lot of teams in the history of Zimbabwean football,” says Dhlakama, who is now in charge of Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Monomotapa were founded in 2003, when Solomon Mugavazi and Lysias Sibanda acquired the franchise of then Northern Region Division side Dimon FC.
Five seasons later, they were crowned Zimbabwean football champions.
“Winning the league with Monomotapa and playing in the Champions League gave me a giant stride towards my success story in the coaching fraternity,” Dhlakama said.
He was crowned Coach of the Year at the 2009 Annual Sports Awards (Ansa), following his incredible feat in the Champions League.
“That (award) was a huge confidence booster for me and actually shaped my character and personality as a coach in the top-flight league.
“At Monomotapa, I had the opportunity to work with the best players in the league then. Chris Samakwere, Mthulisi Maphosa, Voster Chitema, Tendai Samanja, Darryl Nyandoro, Daniel Zokoto, Edmore Chitato (late) and Daniel Kamunenga were amazing players,” he said.
Charles Chiutsa, Makai Kawashu, Asani Nhongo and Lawrence Mdhluli were also part of that squad.
Dhlakama also spoke of the coaches he worked with, from whose experience he benefited from.
“Working with Mapeza, Taurai Mangwiro and Clayton Munemo was enjoyable. I learnt a lot from the trio.”
While Monoz have their place in Champions League history, Zimbabwean giants and the league’s oldest team, Highlanders, are yet to make a mark on the continent.
Their best run remains a second-round berth in 2003, when they were hammered 7-1 on aggregate by Esperance of Tunisia.
Amazulu, who won the title in 2003, never went beyond the first round, as did Gunners in 2010 and Motor Action the following year.
Chicken Inn, who ended Dynamos’ four-year successive dominance in 2015, faltered at the preliminary stage.
Mangwiro, assistant to Dhlakama during that 2009 Champions League run, still talks about that “all-powerful squad”.
“The players were high up there. They wanted to market themselves. After that Champions League run, remember we had Mthulisi (Maphosa), Darryl (Nyandoro) and Maskiri (Chris Semakweri) joining TP Mazembe. A number of Monomotapa players went on to shine in the domestic league, while some went on to play for the national team,” said Mangwiro, who now coaches Triangle.
“I joined Monomotapa as Dhlakama’s assistant in 2009 and during the course of that season, we also had those Asiagate suspensions, which affected Dhlakama and Clayton Munemo.
“When the two were suspended, I took over as acting coach until the end of 2009.
“Maxwell Jongwe was appointed head coach in 2010 and retained me as his assistant. Mid-season, Jongwe left and I took over as head coach until mid-2012,” recounts Mangwiro.
“It was in 2011 when I roped in Biggie Zuze as my assistant. When I left in 2012, Zuze took over and led the team to a top-four finish, plus that appearance in the 2012 Mbada Diamonds Cup final.
“To a large extent, I gained a lot at Monoz. Dhlakama and Jongwe helped me a lot during that time. Of course, I had been head coach at Masvingo United before, but I was still learning the ropes.
“It was at Monomotapa that I was head coach of the national Under-20 team. It was also at Monoz that I managed to go for a Germany B License course courtesy of club director Mugavazi, who personally funded that trip.
“I really enjoyed my time at Monomotapa.
“The club was one of the most exciting teams in the league. We might have not matched what Mapeza did before us, but still the team played some beautiful football, hence the moniker Chinomakwa Nani,” boasted Mangwiro.
Monomotapa’s championship triumph in 2008 was simply amazing, given that the team had survived relegation on the last day of action the previous season.
They lost the opening four games of the 2008 season, but recovered to pip Dynamos to their first and only league title.
Former Monomotapa chairperson Joseph Mukoki remains proud of that moment.
“It was a proud moment for a young and small club like ours to lift the championship. We were handed the cup at Dzivaresekwa Stadium, our home ground then, without much fanfare at all.
“It was as if the league’s administration was not happy that it was little Monoz that had done it,” said Mukoki.
Mukoki was a committee member when Monomotapa won the league title in 2008.
He was appointed vice chairperson in 2009, before taking over as chairperson from 2010 to 2013, when the team was relegated.
“Because of our beautiful style of play, we managed to do well in Africa. We managed to outplay our opponents.
“We became the second Zimbabwean team after Dynamos to qualify for the Champions League’s mini-league phase. That also gave the team great confidence going forward,” added Mukoki.
Former team manager, Clayton Munemo, paid tribute to 2008 championship winning gaffer, Mapeza.
“I joined Monomotapa in 2007 and worked under George Jojo as a manager-assistant coach. We played four games, results were not good and Friday Phiri, who had been deployed to our junior side, was recalled to the club.
“Midway through that season, Jojo and Phiri were fired. Mapeza was roped in. We fought against relegation and survived on the last day.
“The following season we were champions. So you can see how immense Mapeza’s contribution was to the club,” says Munemo.
“The fact that it was Monomotapa which earned Zimbabwe a second slot in the Champions League makes us proud.
“You cannot also talk of Monomotapa without mentioning Loveness Mangena, we called her Mai Mangena, our team medic. She played a crucial role in terms of counselling the players,” Munemo said.
Jojo, a long-serving technical member at Monomotapa, owes his entire football career to the now-defunct club.
“All I have in football was gained at Monoz — my home, my all.
“My experience with the juniors and administration roles at Monomotapa inspired me to form my own Eastlea Academy.
“Working with junior development giants like Nzou (Biggie Zuze), Mike Madzivanyika, Clayton Munemo and Taurai Mangwiro spurred me to become a junior development guru.
“I was involved with Momonotapa from day one. We started as Bindura United, a community team that was being sponsored by our friend Solomon Mugavazi.
“Mugavazi then bought Dimon FC’s franchise and named his project Monomotapa. I started as a committee member, became secretary, juniors coach, assistant coach and head coach.
“In 2007, I was appointed head coach before Mapeza took over. I became juniors coach based at Mufakose 1 High in 2009.
“Subsequently, I became junior development manager and assistant coach during Zuze’s tenure. During my active days in junior development, I discovered Tendai Samanja, Marvelous Emmanuel, Talent Gwaze, Russel Madamombe, Obey Gada, Kudakwashe Musharu, Milton Makopa and Ishmael Lawe.
“My second crop of gems included Ishmael Wadi, Nelson Nelson, Praise Tonha, Zvikomborero Bizeki and Godknows Murwira.
“Professionalism and integrity were valued at Monoz. Tolerance and teamwork were also valued at the club,” said Jojo.
Sadly, Monomotapa were relegated in November 2013 alongside Black Mambas, Motor Action and Triple B.
