When foreign was lekker

Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter

THERE was a time when foreign was lekker.

An era when foreign players, especially from Malawi and Zambia, were the major drawcards to the local elite football matches.

A time when CAPS United fans wouldn’t want to miss watching the likes of Ian Bakala or Joseph Kamwendo in action.

Mhangura fans never wanted to miss an opportunity to witness Webster Chikabala’s magic; just like Amazulu and Masvingo United enjoyed the services of the gritty Ferdinand Mwachindalo.

Hwange had Jones Chilengi.

Zambian imports Francis Kasanda and Sandras “Chopper” Kumwenda, as well as Ghanaian George Owusu — who was described by Memory Mucherahowa as “a football thief’’ last week — were part of the history-making Dynamos squad that reached the CAF Champions League final in 1998.

Chewe Mulenga or Mulenga Chewe, who won the Golden Boot in 2000; Robert Ng’ambi; Clive Mwale; Charles “Chief” Chilufya; Kelvin Kaindu; Frank Mutawali, Hadji Tambala; Manase Mwanza; John Maduka and Dabitswo Nkhoma are some of the prominent foreign players who dazzled the local Premiership.

Laughter Chilembe, Gerald “Papa” Phiri Jr, Aaron Katebe and more recently Obrey Chirwa, including Cameroonians Abert Eonde and Christian Joel Epoupa, have had a connection with the local top-flight league.

There have been frauds too like former Dynamos players Arthur Kaseloki and Derrick Kabwe.

More recently, Jean Claude Ngahan and Robert Sackey are also part of the foreigners who have trekked to Zimbabwe in search of greener pastures.

Spice

While most of them didn’t come cheap, with some clubs breaking the bank to lure them to this land, there is, however, no doubt some of the foreign players, who have graced the Zimbabwean Premiership since its inception in 1993, added the much-needed spice to the local game.

In a week that the football world remembered the Zambian national team that perished in Gabon on April 27 1993, to many it was an opportunity to reflect on how Zambian players in particular and other foreign players have impacted the local game.

Derby Mankika, the shining beacon who dazzled in Darryn T colours during the transitional period when the Super League prepared to give way to the Premiership, was part of that Chipolopolo side whose plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after taking off from Libreville, Gabon.

They were on their way to a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Senegal in Dakar.

The late Mankika played just under a third of the games for Darryn T in 1991, before he left for Europe, but he had done enough to claim a place on the Soccer Star of the Year calendar.

Although he still regrets missing an opportunity to play against Mankika, Dynamos legend Memory Mucherahowa last week paid tribute to the Zambian star.

“A lot of players, especially those from Malawi and Zambia, came to play in Zimbabwe, but the first name on my mind is Derby Mankika,” Mucherahowa said.

“I played almost the same position with him, so I had this desire to play against him because everyone back then talked about him.

“I am sure it would have been an interesting battle. Derby was a brilliant player but unfortunately we never played on the same football pitch,” said Mucherahowa.

The former Dynamos captain, who also wrote a lot about the foreign players who came to Dynamos in the 1990s in his book “Soul of Seven Million Dreams”, hailed the impact they made.

“There was George Owusu, he was part of our 1998 Champions League team. I would call him a football thief, because he had so many tricks.

“You see, these foreign players brought in some of the little things that we didn’t know.

“Kasanda, that big striker, he was good at ball retention, so he totally changed our gameplan and tactics when he joined Dynamos. I can also remember Sandras and this former Mhangura player Webster Chikabala, who also had a brother called Billy.”

Stewart Murisa, who played alongside Mankika at Darryn T as well as Chilufya at Highlanders in 2001, had some special words for the late Zambian magician.

“Derby Mankika is the best of them all, may his soul rest in peace,” said the 1996 Soccer Star of the Year.

“Derby was top class. I remember the game we won 1-0 against Highlanders at Barbourfields back in 1991. Mankika dribbled past Rambo (Mercedes Sibanda) before unleashing a scorcher that silenced BF.

“Mankika was a very cool guy, never pompous and yet he was the best in our team. He was very professional, always led by example. I learnt a lot from him,” said Murisa.

“I also admired Maduka who played for Black Aces as well as Chief (Chilufya). Chilufya was immensely talented, I enjoyed his passes at Bosso when I featured for them in 2001.”

Maduka, was spotted by Black Aces after making his debut for Malawi in the 0-4 loss to Zimbabwe at the National Sports Stadium in 1991.

He went on to play for Silver Strikers, Bush Bucks, Zulu Royals and Bloemfontein Celtic in South Africa before retiring in 2009.

Former CAPS United and national team gaffer, Charles Mhlauri, who was in charge of Makepekepe when Kamwendo became the first and only foreign player so far to win the Soccer Star of the Year award in 2005, also added his voice from his base in America.

Mhlauri won back-to-back league titles with CAPS United in 2004 and 2005, but had earlier coached Mwachindalo at Amazulu.

“Foreign players have always had a very positive impact in Zimbabwe.

“I understand that lack of playing opportunities can negatively affect the national team or development, but the number of foreigners per season in our league has not come near any need to warrant a concern that other leagues have especially in the English FA.

“There has been an average of one to three foreigners starting for the few teams in Zimbabwe. This has somewhat created a healthy environment for our players to develop.

“We have had a tonne of foreign players in our league. At the top of my head I remember some like Derby Mankika, who was part of that Zambian team that perished in Gabon.

“He raised the bar at Darryn T, he represented Zambia in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1990 and 1992,” Mhlauri said.

After his stint with Darryn T, Mankika also played for Lech Poznan in Poland and Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

He died at the age of 28.

“I would not forget Joseph Kamwendo, who I coached at CAPS United and ended the year (2005) as the best player before going to Denmark. He also played for Orlando Pirates,” recalled Mhlauri.

“I also had an opportunity to work with Ian Bakala and Laughter Chilembe. Both were full Zambian internationals and Laughter went on to captain CAPS United at some point.

“Kelvin Kaindu did very well at Highlanders both as a player and a coach. Charles Chilufya was also part of that Highlanders squad that won the league consecutively in the early 2000s. He was one of the key midfielders.

“Then there was Chewe Mulenga, a very good striker from Zambia who ended up as top scorer with Railstars in 2000. Francis Kasanda, Clive Mwale and George Owusu played prominently at Dynamos.

“I coached Mwachindalo at Amazulu, he was a gritty midfielder who also went on to captain the team. A very disciplined player with a big heart, Mwachindalo was a leader on the pitch,” said the dreadlocked coach.

“Lest we forget, we also had a lot of players especially at mine teams that were mostly of Malawian and Zambian descent.

“Such clubs as Mhangura, Hwange, Shabanie, Lancashire Steel, Eiffel Flats. I still remember calling a player for the national team only to discover that he did not have Zimbabwean passport but Malawian.

“There are a number of players in Zimbabwe whose parents never got the chance to regularise.

“Our clubs have always attracted and signed players who go on to add value. The clubs have had to invest more in foreigners so that naturally made it imperative for clubs to break the bank only for the best.”

While adding value and stiffening the competition in the Premiership, these foreign players have also come at a cost.

“The big disadvantage was in making them understand the history and values of the club.

“Most of them come at a high cost, which include housing, and some have families. That has been a challenge, especially for financially unstable clubs.

“However, football is a team sport so success has never been attributable to the number of foreigners you have.”

Shabanie Mine legend Gerald Phiri played alongside the late Chikabala at Mhangura and was full of admiration of the Zambian whose technical ability wowed fans at Mhangura.

“He had a huge impact, very good technically and a good entertainer.

“Chikabala also gave back to youngsters from the Mhangura community when he became coach,” said Phiri.

Many still recall the Masvingo United side of 2005, which could have won the championship had they not succumbed to a 0-1 defeat to relegation-fighting Dynamos at Mucheke on the last weekend of the season.

Well, that “Yuna Yuna” machine was powered from the midfield by Zambian star Mwachindalo, who joined Masvingo after also helping Amazulu to the 2003 title.

Mwachindalo was very instrumental in Masvingo United’s stunning run in 2005 – a year in which the team finished second behind CAPS United and won the OK Woza Bhora and the ZIFA Unity Cup.

Former Warriors and Sundowns midfielder Esrom Nyandoro, who played and won the 2003 league title with Mwachindalo at Amazulu, showered praises for the Zambian midfield powerhouse.

“Mwachindalo was my senior at Usuthu (Amazulu) and I had much respect for his work ethic. I learnt a lot from him.

“He was someone who always wanted to improve in every game and also to improve others. What I admired most was the way he trained. The way he trained was the same way he played on match day.

“Always smart, his shirt tucked in, his six-stud boots on and his sheen guards on every time.”

Competitive

One of the finest ball passers ever produced in the country, Ronald “Gidiza” Sibanda, who also played with and against a number of foreign players during his colourful career, also spoke from his base in Bulawayo.

Sibanda enjoyed a good on-and-off-the-pitch relationship with Kasanda at Dynamos. “They (foreign players) obviously improved the standard of the game in our country and made the Premiership more competitive in a way,” said the former Zimbabwe Saints and Amazulu player.

“If you look at these players, they were regulars in their teams which shows you that they were very good,” said Sibanda.

Veteran football commentator and analyst, Charles “CNN” Mabika, has seen a number of foreign players come and go but spoke highly of Mankinka.

“To me the best-ever Zambian player to play here in Zimbabwe has got to be Derby Mankika. Oh boy, that guy was out of this world and I will have the temerity to rank him alongside the world’s finest players.

“The Chief (Chilufya), Sandras Kumwenda, Dabwitso Nkhoma, Clive Mwale, Ian Bakala and of course the little stopper Laughter Chilembe have caught my eye since the inception of the Premiership in 1993.

“I think their biggest contribution was individual flair, secondly their commitment to the game they loved overrode any financial remuneration setbacks they faced from their paymasters.

“And, they would always confide in me that Zimbabwe was their number one foreign land,” said Mabika.

However, that trend has changed of late and unlike back then, when player movement between Zimbabwe and Zambia was predominantly south of the Zambezi, these days it is the reverse.

Former Warriors goalkeeper Tatenda Mkuruva, Devon Chafa, Partson Jaure, Nqobizitha Masuku, Ocean Mushure, Dennis Dauda, Jimmy Dzingai, Tafadzwa Rusike and Tanaka Chinyahara are some of the players who moved to Zambia in recent seasons.