WHEN Mike “Para” Zivira’s career was blossoming in his teens, he had the whole of Mpopoma pregnant with expectations of a gem in the making.
While it may have gone beyond stillbirth stage, Zivira looks back with regret and believes alcohol got the better of him and derailed his career. He has a word for today’s budding footballers and does not want their talents going down the drain.
“To young footballers they must not be involved in alcohol and drug abuse, my career went down because of alcohol,” said Zivira.
He believes if not for alcohol abuse he could have gone far with his career and is challenging today’s generation to keep their dreams alive by keeping good company and staying away from drugs and alcohol abuse. Sport wants discipline, he said.
“I lost my career because of too much alcohol. I say to junior players don’t drink, don’t indulge in drugs. I wish I could have been like Marvellous Nakamba, I could have played for Liverpool. These young players are indulging in drugs and alcohol, I urge youngsters to stay away,” said Ziviria.
Para, as he was affectionately known in Bulawayo and all clubs he played for, was a clinical finisher who scored on his Premier Soccer League debut. Zivira marked his entry into Premier Soccer League in 1997 with a goal against Zimbabwe Saints while playing for Air Force of Zimbabwe side Blue Swallows. It was no ordinary goal, he had beaten probably Zimbabwe’s best goalkeeper at the time Muzondiwa Mugadza.
“I scored against Muzondiwa Mugadza of Zimbabwe Saints on my debut. That goal did wonders for me although I used my hand,” said Zivira.
After the match he stayed behind and the next morning his manager and agent, the late Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda was home enticing him to a juicy move to newly promoted AmaZulu.
“I played one match for Blue Swallows who had acquired my services at the end of 1996 when I turned out for Phinda Mzala. After the match I stayed behind in Bulawayo on the advice of Charles Mhlauri who had been my coach at Phinda Mzala. Ernest Sibanda came home and took me to AmaZulu where I signed straight after just one game in the Premiership and stayed at home in Bulawayo. We met Delma (Lupepe) at the AmaZulu offices who had also heard about my progression as a junior and how I had troubled Zimbabwe Saints the previous Sunday,” said Zivira.
He said he did not envisage being a soldier or an airman and hence the decision to return home and play for AmaZulu.
From netting over 20 goals in 1996 at Phinda Mzala in a twin strikeforce with Malvern Ntini, Zivira recalls the times at the Zifa Southern Region Charles Mhlauri-coached side. It was teeming with great talent, the best Under-19s in Bulawayo plucked from the local Zifa Southern Region Division One League.
“What a time we had at Phinda Mzala. With Ntini in attack, he knew I would dribble from the left wing and beat everyone and leave him to score and run to me to celebrate. Malvern was a good finisher and we profited from the ingenuity and industry of Richard Choruma and Lindani Kurairwa in midfield.
“We were a good group of talented youngsters picked deliberately on our strengths and woven into an exciting and promising team by Charles Mhlauri. We had Bekithemba Ndlovu, Kurairwa, Witness Gumbo, Ndodana Sibanda, Golding Dube, Dobi Tawi, Morris, Gift Lunga (Jnr), Lotion Dlamini, Amkela Nyoni, Bheki Sibanda and Alfred Kubone,” said Zivira at his Mpopoma, Bango neighbourhood on Friday.
In his full year with AmaZulu Zivira scored about 13 goals but was unlucky in the 1998 finding himself excess baggage as AmaZulu went on a buying spree bringing among top players, Ferdinand Mwachindalo and Limbi Mbewe who did not stay too long. He was loaned out to the National Railways of Zimbabwe side, Raistars.
“There was a job offer I could not turn down. AmaZulu had bought several big names and they put me on a 24-hour call loan deal meaning I was still very much in their plans. I scored six goals for Railstars playing alongside Wisdom Sibanda, Thabani Sibanda, Upenyu Muronzvi, Dumisani Mafikeni, Mayfield Daka, Morgan Chenga, Wisdom Maphosa,” said Zivira who in 2000 was at Thorngrove United run by the late Joseph James, a prominent lawyer who played for Bulawayo Wanderers.
“Thorngrove was a sister club to AmaZulu. AmaZulu paid my salaries but they were not so serious and booze got the better of me and I eventually retired at the age of 29 because of bad habits. My football story is a sad one because my community expected better out of me. They appreciated my talent and dreamt of me as the next big thing in the game from Bulawayo. I let them down big time and my wish is the next player from Mpopoma to do much better and stay away from beer and drugs. They are no good, they harm your health and bury your career and aspirations,” added Zivira who is younger brother to legendary Zimbabwe Saints supporter John Mpostori and Rabson Muchichwa a former Eagles, Kaizer Chiefs and Zimbabwe international.
The former Peter Ndlovu Youth Football Festival and Induna Foods Trophy winner, described Thulani “Biya” Ncube and Bosso leftback, Gift Lunga (Junior) as the most difficult opponents he faced.
“Biya would kick me and Junior would warn me ahead that he would go for both the ball and the man and the next thing I am flying with the ball in the wake of his dirty tackle,” said Zivira who described the 2-1 win over Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium as one of his career highlights.
Another match he would not forget was the 1-0 win over Caps United in the 1998/9 season when he was still at AmaZulu.
“I roasted Edlebert Dinha on the wing and left him in a pile in a match we won 1-0 after a goal by Simba Rusike (ex-Railstars) when I had just been substituted. Dinha got to his feet and said to me he would be back and for sure he sent me flying to the fence and I had to be substituted,” said Zivira who said playing at Barbourfields gave him the extra urge to play better against a fired up Highlanders that would not want to disappoint its own fans.
He admitted having challenges playing against Amon Chimbalanga in between the goalposts.
“He once caught a penalty kick from me during the Peter Ndlovu tournament when I was playing for Mthala and him turning out for Redwing Mine from Penhalonga,” said the Mpopoma legend who was once a goalkeeper at Mpumelelo Primary School.
Joshua Phiri, a former Highlanders junior and Black Rhinos player, a Mpopoma resident who saw the striker growing up, said Zivira turned down an Air Force job and came to play for AmaZulu where he excelled under Mhlauri.
“He grew up before our eyes, he was committed to his game and was disciplined, he shone for us as Mpopoma. I had wished he could have gone higher than that at the time we had Peter Ndlovu soaring great heights in the UK, we were disappointed that he failed to follow in his (Peter) footsteps,” said George Magunda another resident.
Charles Mumpande said Zivira was so talented that the Mpopoma community thought he would play abroad.
“He was very talented. We all thought he would play abroad,” said Mumpande also a Mpopoma resident.
Zivira is a single father with two daughters who attend Mpopoma High School, Michelle who is in Form Three and Lorraine in Form One. After retiring from playing football Zivira followed the great trek to South Africa and then decided to settle back home.
Given a chance and incentive he says he would love to coach schools in his neighbourhood. He attended Mpumelelo Primary School and Msitheli High School all in Mpopoma. Zivira says more should be done to retain Mpopoma as a top talent groomer.