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IN the early hours of Sunday morning, Highlanders and the nation lost a legend and a hero. A football star by the name Willard Mashinkila Khumalo breathed his last on this earth. Khumalo succumbed to diabetes that had ravaged him for a number of years at the age of 49. He was laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery, where Bulawayo’s civic heroes are buried, before thousands of mourners from all walks of life.

It was an extraordinary funeral where mourners started gathering for the service at McDonald Hall in Mzilikazi as early as 6:30AM.

Speaker after speaker made similar speeches and pleas that have been made before whenever a Zimbabwean footballer is being buried.

It was as if they were reading from the same template. “Let us all assist footballers when they hang up their boots. Let the government recognise footballers while they’re still alive as most of them live as paupers and receive a pauper’s burial.”

It was the same message that was echoed when legendary rightback Mercedes “Rambo” Sibanda died in 2002; the same message when other soccer greats like Makheyi Nyathi, Melusi Nkiwane, Francis Shonhayi, Lenny Gwata, Edmore Chitato and Nqobizitha Maenzanise, among others, passed away.

Despite travelling the length and breadth of this continent with the Dream Team and playing in the lucrative South African Premier Soccer League, Shonhayi died virtually a pauper. Shonhayi captained the Warriors, AmaZulu and Cape Town Spurs in the South African league, and was among the highest paid footballers in that country’s league yet he had nothing to show for it.

At the time of his death in 2006, Shonhayi was working as a personal driver for his former Cape Town Spurs boss David Rodwell after hanging up his boots due to injury in 2001.

On Thursday, midfield legend Moses Chunga told mourners that Khumalo, a man he played alongside in the Warriors, died a bitter man as he felt people had turned their backs on him and did not want to be associated with him in his time of need.

It’s sad that a player of Khumalo’s stature should be neglected during such trying times just as it was sad when appeals were made for funds to repatriate Shonhayi’s body from South Africa.

The script was the same with another former Highlanders and Dynamos defender Gwata as well as Maenzanise. These were not Mickey Mouse footballers, but players of repute, who were literally worshipped by the fans.

While I am in agreement that there is need to assist former players when they hit hard times, I also think the players need to be a bit wiser as they are like any other employee in this country.

Some of these guys make a lot of money during their playing days. Those lucky enough to play for giants or well paying teams are almost guaranteed of a win every week and are even better off as some teams pay up to $300 in winning bonuses before their pay is factored in.

However, fame sometimes seems to overcome some of these players and instead of investing wisely, they tend to blow their earnings on girls, cars and booze.

Football is an unpredictable career and needs one to invest wisely. This is why players abroad have financial advisors and other experts that take care of their money and investments.

It’s sad that most of our popular footballers extend the begging bowl a few years after hanging up their boots, yet during their prime playing days they would be well known for squandering money with huge entourages of hangers on and women.

Footballers and all sportspeople should be wiser now and start investing for their future.

A former Motor Action player is known to have sold a house he had been given as part of his signing on deal and bought a car, which is a sad and painful reality.

Friends enjoy these soccer players’ aimless joy rides in their cars, but when hard times hit, they would be nowhere in sight, which is the same complaint Mawii is said to have made to Chunga just last month.

Footballers must and should learn to invest and plan for their future. Organisations like the Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe must formulate polices that address the future of their members.

A compulsory providence fund must be set up whereby players contribute to help cushion their livelihoods after their playing or coaching days are over.

This care-free mentality must stop if funerals of our sports heroes are to be befitting and not become complaint podiums.

Other players should learn from Johannes Ngodzo. He never plied his trade outside the country, but was clever enough to save the little that he made at Highlanders and the national team to buy a house. He also quietly attained his coaching badges because he knew that football was a short career.

Footballers mustn’t be cry babies by pretending to be different from the rest of Zimbabwe’s working class.

Businesses or employers would be bankrupt if they all had to take care of their former employees after they retire. The problem is that our ex-footballers want their former employers to look after them, which is way different from seeking assistance.

The sad and constant problems that befall most of our famous footballers when they retire must push the present crop of players to adhere to the old adage, “make hay while the sun shines”.