CHIPO Tsodzo who was well-travelled as a player having played in Bulawayo, Hwange, Masvingo and Mwana Africa, says it was not about money that he heeded the call to play in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 1995 ebola outbreak.
It was a sacrifice for his country. Many others had before put their livelihoods and lives at stake for the sake of millions during the liberation struggle.
Many years after the war had ended Tsodzo and a group of brave Warriors sacrificed for the badge and the local game to play in the DRC.
The foreign legion turned down the call-up fearing for their lives. Their clubs also insisted on insurance which Zifa could not afford and a decision was made that legendary Gibson Homela calls up locals to fulfill the fixture.
Gibson Homela
He hastily called up the guys who arrived at night at the Sheraton Hotel in Harare (now Rainbow Towers) and travelled on the day of the match.
“That was my volunteering as a patriotic Zimbabwean. For your country, the effort and sacrifice have no monetary measure. Hopefully one day my colleagues and the departed ones may be honoured by Zifa or by the Sports Commission for what we did for our country. We put our lives on the line.
“Heroes are in many categories and I support the Hall of Fame concept, it’s got to take off and we see our heroes celebrated,” said the man many call Jackroller.
Tsodzo was then a 20-year-old striker playing for Zimbabwe Saints.
Homela had promoted him to the first team in 1993. “I joined the Zimbabwe Saints Under-16s from Juaki Lunga’s Gold Star. There were several good players at the club and this was after Gift Lunga (Snr) had impressed upon me that I was a better player for Gold Star and deserved better. I went to Saints and started developing into a better player. I am grateful for Juaki’s patience in nurturing me and many others.
“The juniors I played with from the Under-16s were Mlungisi Ndebele, Muzondiwa Mugadza, Chris Kawema, Lloyd Jowa and Matambanashe Sibanda and I was thrust at the back where I would play at right-back or centre-back,” said Tsodzo who attended Lobengula Primary School in Mzilikazi. He said he started with the primary school juniors before he joined Gold Star at Makokoba’s 11th Street pitch.
“Talking of Makokoba we were never short of inspiration. So many legends had come through Thabiso and 11 Street pitches. They were our heroes and we wanted to be like them.
“Remember Adam, Peter and Madinda Ndlovu, Tanny Banda, Netsai Moyo, Gift Lunga (Snr), Nkululeko Dlodlo, Makheyi Nyathi, Doughty Sithole were from Makokoba. We had all the reason to want to emulate these top players from our neighbourhood,” said Tsodzo who says at Sobukhazi High School he played alongside renowned choreographer, playwright and event manager Simon “Mambazo” Phiri of Siyaya Arts.
“Mambazo was our goalkeeper, we had Chazaza (well-known gangster of the 1990s) and Kelvin ‘Mchawa’ Maseko. We had so many good youngsters back then who did not take up soccer,” said the Bulawayo soccer legend.
Tsodzo said with the 1980s generation retiring in the early 1990s, Homela and juniors coach Lazarus “Juju” Zimangi who inherited the role from the late Jani Gwede, did not bother going into the market.
They turned to Tsodzo, Dumisani Dube, Godwin Mangayi, Muzondiwa Mugadza, Howard Mago, Henry Ndlovu and Themba Ndlovu from their juniors and Ronald Sibanda who Highlanders turned down and wanted him to stick around in their junior teams,” said Tsodzo.
David Sibanda, John Sibanda and Innocent Rwodzi were among the senior players at the club back then and were joined by Lovejoy Mugadza who added experience.
Tsodzo said they were a youthful team of boys who had played junior football together and combined with some senior players for a futuristic team. Tsodzo said his best season at Zimbabwe Saints was in 1995 when he scored for fun having been converted to a striker.
He speaks highly of Homela, Zimangi, the legendary William Sibanda and Philemon Dangarembwa who all took turns to nurture him to be a better player.
He was among the stand-out players when Chikwata whacked Dynamos 5-0 in the Champion of Champions clash in 1995. DeMbare were in no show for the second leg at Rufaro Stadium.
Tsodzo eventually left Saints in 2001 for Masvingo United teaming up with the likes of Joe Kwangwari and Lloyd Hlahla.
Having made his debut for Chikwata in a 1-1 draw against Wankie in Hwange, Tsodzo believes his best game was against Tongogara at Mbizo Stadium in 1995 when they won 3-1 with him scoring a brace and Ronald Sibanda once.
Tsodzo scored 27 goals in 2002 and was among the Soccer Star of the Year finalists and he had earned himself attention from Highlanders with the team’s manager, Ernest Sibanda convincing him to join Highlanders in 2003.
“My good form earned me a trial at Paphos, a deal organised by Spiro Nicollau who had assisted Rahman Gumbo, Agent Sawu, Joel Luphahla and Noel Kaseke to play in that country,” said Tsodzo.
It was with a lot of expectation at Bosso that he arrived. They were a team that had won support from the fans and four consecutive league championships a feat hitherto achieved by Dynamos 1980-1983 and Bulawayo Rovers in the 1950s.
Arriving as a striker at Bosso, he would later play as a defender.
He partnered Gilbert Banda and Bekithemba “Super” Ndlovu in a team that had goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini, Bekithemba Nkiwane, Anzilom Ndlovu at the back, stylish Costa Maradzike, Richard Choruma, brilliant Honour Gombami and artistic Johannes Ngodzo in midfield and Mkhokheli Dube and Dabwitso Nkhoma in attack.
In 2006 Tsodzo moved to Mwana Africa in Bindura and won the CBZ Cup under Willard Khumalo to get the ticket to play in the Caf Confederations Cup where after he had his Bulawayo friends in bursts of laughter with his, “Ngapha akufani langale esithi mjetshemjetshe-bus, ngale mjetshe, mjetshe ndege (Here its emergency taxi, taxi to bus while in Bindura its taxi, taxi to plane.”
TP Mazembe of the DRC knocked them out of the continental tournament for the FA Cup winners or league runners-up.
The big player joined Chipangano in Division One in 2009 and helped them to league promotion before returning to Bosso.
In 2011 the nomadic Makokoba lad who now lives in Cowdray Park, returned to Chikwata who bounced back into the Premiership after acquiring the franchise of Eagles of Harare.
Like a rolling stone that does not gather any moss, at 37 he played for Tawanda Ruzive’s Quelaton and eventually called it a day in 2014 after a stint with Bantu Rovers where he began his coaching career.
A Zifa Level Four, Tsodzo may be among the beneficiaries of a new programme for former players when Caf courses begin.
Tsodzo is part of the Nkayi United coaching department. Nkayi have been among the top three Zifa Southern Region Division One clubs.
Tsodzo, 49 has three kids who live abroad and are not into football. In his spare time Tsodzo is known for his nimble-footedness and love for Dalom Music and the Mighty Soul Brothers.
Before we rounded up the interview, Tsodzo insisted that the goal attributed to Tapuwa Kapini in 2004 in the 4-3 win at the National Sports Stadium was his.
“Yes, it was a long clearance from the back and I went high and flicked it changing direction to beat a desperate Witness Munkuli in goal for Caps United,” said Tsodzo among the 1990s’ most popular footballers.