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Lovemore Dube, [email protected]

FORMER Black Rhinos, Caps United and Zimbabwe midfield general, Stix M’tizwa says their development was aided by having extremely talented players to emulate.

M’tizwa was for over a decade from 1979, among the best players in the local league. He won virtually everything that was there to play for and among his accomplishments were two league titles and on six occasions, he was on the Castle Lager calendar, among the country’s 11 best players at a time Zimbabwe was teeming with talent.

To have appeared so many times, is testament of his quality as a player at a time when Zimbabwe had dominant and exciting talents like Joel Shambo, Stanley Ndunduma, Madinda Ndlovu, David Mwanza, Moses Chunga, Boy Ndlovu, Mike Abrahams, Tito Paketh, Nkulumo Donga, Boyce Lunga, Kenneth Jere, Robert Godoka, Max Tshuma, Mercedes Sibanda, Willard Khumalo, Ephraim Chawanda, James Takavada, Gift Mpariwa, Oliver Kateya, Shaky Tauro and Charles Chirwa.

He was in the city on Saturday at the launch of the Jadel Football Academy Bulawayo Chapter.
M’tizwa said he was inspired by a generation of great players. Growing up in Mbare, a stone’s throw from Rufaro Stadium and Zimbabwe grounds, all he could do when time allowed and there were three things available, a ball, a pitch of empty land and other boys was to play, among themselves.

“We never got tired of playing football. We loved the game and passion drove us to spend hours on hours playing the game. We had several role models to emulate who had some special features that we valued a great deal,” said M’tizwa.

Among his role models were George Shaya, Tymon Mabaleka and William Sibanda.
“Mabaleka and Sibanda were brilliant mid-fielders, very good on the ball and off it. Had good ball control, energy to run from box to box, dribbled very well and game intelligence of knowing when to exert their energies. George Shaya was a ‘Mastermind’ a very good footballer, who we all envied and wished to scale his great heights. Several other good players around the country vowed audiences with their talents,” said M’tizwa.

He said the youth club concept, which had him and his peers flock to Mai Musodzi Hall to try a hand at football with other sporting disciplines available, allowed peers to play informally, work on their skills before being identified for formal football activity with organised clubs like Black Aces and Dynamos.
On the launch of the Jadel Academy, he said he came through junior development and that it’s essential in the development of talent.

“The youth clubs that we grew up at, like Mai Musodzi in Mbare, were key in the development of talent. We came through this type of initiative (like Jadel Academy). At that time, we had Mai Musodzi and Stoddart Hall, here we have Mzilikazi (Thabiso Youth Centre) where Peter and the Ndlovu brothers came through.

“Youth clubs provided a number of disciplines, we would go there and spend the whole day, we did not have time to do something like drinking and drug abuse,” said M’tizwa.

Collin Nyambiya, who owns an academy that has been around for over a decade was also at the launch of the Jadel Academy, he said he had grown up in the same youth club concept where an unemployed volunteer assisted them.