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The late Edzai Kasinauyo

THE passing away of Edzai Kasinauyo last Friday left me asking myself, yet again, why God always chooses to take all the good guys.

Edzai was one of those good-hearted guys — I’m not sure there are many like him in football.

It is no argument that he was close to all of the current and former players that have their roots in Zimbabwe, because he was just that kind of guy who knew how to get along with everyone.

Ask any of Peter Ndlovu, Tapuwa Kapini, Willard Katsande, Benjani Mwaruwari, Ian Gorowa, Zhaimu Jambo, Eddie Dinha, Khama Billiat, Kaitano Tembo, Knowledge Musona, Joel Luphahla, Elasto Kapowezha, Alois Bunjira, Tinashe Nengomasha and Innocent Chikoya, the list is just endless … and they all had Edzai’s number on their phones, just like I did.

He spoke to anyone and was forever a resourceful guy, who could provide solutions and offer advice in any situation.

Not only did he provide the bridge to the PSL for players from across the Limpopo province, he was also a shrewd businessman — many can attest to that.

The company — named KASMA — that he started with his former teammate Simba Marumo is still up and running in Johannesburg, just like his sports retail shop — eSport Sports — in Harare, Zimbabwe.

He was the Zimbabwean representative of Germany sportswear giants Adidas, owned an academy, and was a resource person in all the major football tournaments in Zimbabwe, while along the way he was even a board member of the Zimbabwean Football Association.

I doubt right now that there will ever be anyone who met Edzai in person, who will dispute the gentleman that he was. Club bosses can attest to that and even car guards, waiters, former teammates, coaches and ordinary guys that he met on the streets.

We regularly spoke on the phone because I am one of those guys who enjoys the priviledge of getting to know the footballers that I watched as kid in my younger years as a schoolboy.

Edzai was one of a few footballers who didn’t have to keep scavenging for another playing contract at the twilight of his playing career. He was also one of a few footballers that I know, who also didn’t have to take the worn-out route of coaching past his playing days because he had bigger and better ambitions than shouting instructions from the bench.

“For me, it doesn’t make sense to continue playing just for the sake of trying to get a salary at the end of the month,” he told me, when he decided to hang his boots up nine years ago.

Besides his business interests, he was an administrator and was involved as a players agent with his company Tamba Sports Management.

Prior to his passing away on Friday, we had spoken at length on the phone earlier on in the week and he had indicated that we should meet soon, as we had not seen each other for some time.

Those that saw him playing will remember he was a left-footed midfielder who was nicknamed “Chimusoro”, playing for Caps United, Arcadia United and Blackpool back home before he then crossed the border to play for Cape Town Spurs.

He then had two stints with Ajax Cape Town and another two with Swallows, while he also played for Hellenic and FC AK.

Kasinauyo was 42 at the time of his death. — KickOff