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Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER being picked by former national team winger Joel Luphahla among his best Highlanders 11 of all-time, Dumisani “Savimbi” Nyoni reckons ex-Warriors’ midfield kingpin Ronald “Gidiza” Sibanda could have easily walked into any of the great Bosso sides.

“It’s an honour to have one of our respected players recognising the great works I did for Highlanders. But truth be told, I would have loved to play alongside players in the mould of Ronald Sibanda. Gidiza was something else. I will always respect his ball control and distribution. He was a midfielder par excellence. It’s unfortunate he didn’t play for Highlanders, but he was easily going to make it into Bosso’s Hall of Fame,” said Nyoni.

Endowed with intelligent reading of the game, excellent touch and pin-point passing, the script was always written that Gidiza, a former Zimbabwe Saints, Dynamos and AmaZulu midfielder, was destined for a wider football audience, but his intended moves to foreign leagues were blighted by misfortune.

He would make defenders dance in desperation to stop his ball spraying antics, earning himself the nickname Gidiza.

Bosso fans resented him for frustrating them while in Saints, DeMbare and AmaZulu colours.

In 1998 Highlanders unsuccessfully pursued his signature, as the player opted to sign for Dynamos, who had reportedly come with a better offer plus the prospects of playing in the Caf Champions League.

Since his national team debut in 1998, Gidiza went on to earn more than 50 Warriors’ caps and featured in two Africa Cup of Nations.

While at Saints in the mid-1990s, he had a trial stint at English Premiership side Sunderland as well as Polish topflight league outfit Slask Wroclaw, but with no luck.

He also tried his luck at Germany Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, while South Africa’s Umtata Bush Bucks also tried luring him during his days at Amazulu.

Nyoni, father to former Warriors, Amazulu and Highlanders’ left-footed player Vusa Nyoni, was picked by Luphahla in his Bosso best 11 of all-time alongside legendary goalminder Peter Nkomo, United States of America-based Thulani Ncube, the late Mercedes Sibanda and Alexander Maseko.

Luphahla also selected Johannes Ngodzo and late midfielders Benjamin Nkonjera and Willard Khumalo, the late Adam Ndlovu, his younger Peter and Zenzo Moyo. – @FungaiMuderere