HE was expected to fit into the shoes of his legendary father Posani Sibanda, one of the most outstanding goalkeepers before Independence.
But Timothy could only achieve what destiny had for him.
There could only be one Posani Sibanda, and that was his legendary father who starred for Chibuku Shumba, Wankie FC and Rhodesia.
“Growing up as Posani Sibanda’s son presented itself with a lot of problems for me. I was expected to be a re-incarnation of the legendary goalkeeper who was high up there with Bruce Grobbelaar, who went on to play for Liverpool one of the world’s best clubs. There was certainly a lot of pressure on my shoulders the moment it was discovered that the young goalkeeper in me was Posani’s son.
“It did put a lot of pressure and also I worked hard under the environment to excel and perpetuate his legacy. Indeed he was a big name goalkeeper from testimonies I heard about him. The greatest Wankie FC side of the 1970s has his footprint and was known all over the country,” said Timothy.
Timothy started his football journey at Hwange’s Makwika Village. This was a township that had at any given time produced a good number of players who played for Hwange FC and as a youngster he wanted to emulate the best from his hood.
His father was phenomenal, Charles Phiri for Wankie Amateur Football Association (Wafa) was a great goalkeeper and there was also motivation in him to emulate Posani’s younger brother, Phillip who was among the best in primary schools football between 1979 and 1982.
There was also Joseph among Posani’s younger brothers who also was a goalkeeper but his career ended prematurely as he quit the game as soon as he got a job.
Phillip contested with Isaac “Catchman” Tshuma for that age-group’s top star and showed lots of promise and unfortunately at a time the Hwange conveyor belt was churning gems, the best could only aim at the Super League side and in the absence of incentivised Zifa lower division sides, Victoria Falls swallowed Phillip and many talented youngsters who included Patrick Ncube, George Singongi and Fanyana Mguni.
He was apprenticed in the dusty patches of Makwika popularly known as Number Three where a lot of hours were put in section teams of boys playing plastic balls and once in a while inflated rubber ones known as “frido.”
“I grew up like any boy in the village playing plastic balls and learnt as much as I could and started serious and organised football at primary school as a goalkeeper. From Makwika I moved to Sir Humphrey Gibbs a school that also produced plenty of good players who played for ZPC and Hwange,” said Timothy lauding his former school coach Lungu Zulu for the inspiration and guidance.
Isaac Chuma, Chabuka Mwale, Twyman Ncube, Isaac Phiri, Mindo Nyoni and London Khumalo are part of a long list of players who learnt at the school and went on to shine.
Helped by a big frame Sibanda walked into the Hwange Secondary School first team as a Form One and remained as the school’s best goalkeeper until Form Four.
I joined Young Pirates, Hwange FC’s developmental side when I was a teenager and worked hard under Luke Masomere who pushed me through to the reserve team.
Timothy’s break after being promoted to the senior team in 1999 when there was Chenjerayi Dube and Witness Munkuli came in 2002.
“Luke Masomere was the coach and had worked with me in the juniors. Chenje and Witness left and I was thrown to the deep end, a match against Black Rhinos which we lost 3-2. Obviously starting with a loss needs a lot of psychological boosting and the coaches encouraged me to soldier on and I went back to put a shift that saw me being recognised as one of the best at some stage,” said Sibanda.
Arriving in the first team, he found players like Gerald Ndlovu, Brian Njobvu, Bongani Mathe, Gilbert Zulu, Aleck Nyoni and Hlanganani Ngwenya.
Timothy was a good penalty kick saver and recalls one match in which Hwange knocked out Highlanders.
“With the team tied at 4-4, Highlanders’ decider was to be taken by Tapuwa Kapini, an inspirational figure for Bosso. I went the right direction and saved his effort in the Buddie Cup and we proceeded to the next stage with a 5-4 win as we scored ours.
“Another match that I still remember was the Independence Cup final in 2005. We were under Paul Moyo and we were beaten 1-0 in the final, the guys put up a good show in the match and were unlucky not to bring the cup home,” said Timothy whose father was part of the great 1970s Wankie FC side that won the Castle Cup finals in 1970 and 1973 to cast a host of players like Barry Daka, Amos Rendo, Sam Mutende, Rodrick Simwanza, Nathaniel Maduku, Obert Agayi, Jimmy Sibanda and Mwape Sakala into legendary status.
Timothy confesses that facing any team with Obidiah Tarumbwa always presented headaches.
“He was a talented and intelligent player who would skillfully pick his spot and place the ball beyond your reach be it a penalty kick or open play. He was simply the best striker I ever faced.
“I remember one game, he sent me the wrong direction. To everyone’s surprise the referee Phillip Kawara ordered a retake saying I had moved off the line before the kick. Tarumbwa came forward and beat me for the second time. There were few such strikers during those days and made football entertaining something we do not see these days,” said Timothy.
Sibanda said playing at Barbourfields Stadium and Rufaro always subjected his club to a lot of pressure.
“Those vociferous supporters in Bulawayo and Harare need one to have nerves to manage the pressure on and off the field,” said Timothy.
Timothy had a big body, was good on aerial challenges when dealing with crosses, was good at reading strikers’ movements and positioned himself well. He was also a decent distributor of the ball with a long throw for a counter attack if the need arose.
In 2004 Timothy was four times called up to the national team.
“Energy Murambadoro was the number one goalkeeper and was coming from Israel, Tapuwa Kapini was the Highlanders number one goalkeeper. It was at a time when Bosso were dominant in the country and there was me from Hwange. It was in only one match when we played Malawi away that I made it to the final 18 and sat on the bench which was a big achievement for someone like me who a lot was expected of,” said Timothy adding that he was happy to have followed his great father and uncle Phillip’s footsteps.
He acknowledges the competition that was there for goalkeepers in those days saying Kapni, Murambadoro, Gift Muzadzi, Dominic Sithole, Witness Munkuli and Chenjerayi Dube were very good goalkeepers.
Timothy retired from playing football in 2015 and was assigned to the Colliery’s Estate Department where he works as a clerk.
Married to Lizzy Chuma and with five children, Timothy now coaches Hwange juniors and has a Level Two certificate.
He has done a goalkeepers coach training and dreams one day of helping out on the dugout of his boyhood side a team that propelled his dad to stardom.
Timothy is confident that Nation Dube will steer the club away from relegation and bemoans the collapse of Wafa.
“Wafa with Colliery supplying transport, paying referees and providing fields provided for the development of a great team with a majority of the players home groomed. Nation will help the team survive, he understands the expectations, terrain he is operating in and have of late shown signs of improvement,” said Timothy.
