BY Albert Marufu THE year 1993 in local soccer circles is most remembered for the emergence of the modern day Premier Soccer League as an autonomous body under the guidance of the late Morrison Sifelani and Chris Sibanda. Since then, successive leaders among them, Tapiwa Matangaidze, Chris Sambo and Willard Manyengavana have come and gone with Twine Phiri and Kenny Ndebele now steering the ship. A lot has happened since that year with Sifelani having passed on while Sibanda has moved to the Diaspora. Some of the former leaders now roam the streets of Harare largely unnoticed. Two of our biggest stadiums Rufaro and Barbourfields have since undergone facelifts while most of the era’s players and administrators are now heroes of yesteryear. However, there is one gentle giant who has withstood the test of time and that is Quelaton’s new acquisition, the nomadic Chipo Tsodzo. Known by the moniker “Jack Roller”, Tsodzo made his premiership debut the same year the Premier Soccer League was born in a league match against the now defunct Black Aces at Barbourfields. That day, Tsodzo struck twice with Ronald Sibanda adding the other as Zimbabwe Saints “Chauya Chikwata” sent then-defending league champions Black Aces packing. The Aces team had the likes of Emmanuel “Shumba” Nyahuma, Vusi Laher and Patrick Daka and the likes of Muzondiwa Mugadza, Nkosana Gumbo, Howard Mago (late) and Matambanashe Sibanda who have all retired from the game. However at 36, Tsodzo is still going strong and was recently unveiled by Quelaton as one of the club’s signings when the transfer window closed last week. Tsodzo, who is now in his 19th year in football, is still going strong and has already issued a cautionary statement to young defenders in the league. “I have been in the game for a long time now. Most of my former teammates and those who came after me are either dead or are now into coaching. Soccer is in me and I do not see myself doing anything else,” said the player who is also known for his love for the brown bottle. But does he still have the legs to compete with the young boys in the league? “Obviously I am slower than I was a few years ago but I still have the sting in me. However, I cannot play forever and I think I have played my part in the game. At the end of the season, I will hang my boots and venture into coaching,” said Tsodzo. Born on February 4 1976, Tsodzo, who has seen action at Zimbabwe Saints, Highlanders, Hwange, Masvingo United and Mwana Africa and can either be used as a defender or striker said he is happy with how his career has developed. “To still be playing at this age is certainly a blessing from the Lord. However, I have not been as fortunate as other footballers who have played football outside the country,” he said. Asked how he rates the level of talent during the 1990s and now, Tsodzo said the standards have gone down drastically. “Our standards are going down every day. I remember back in the days playing against the likes of Stewart Murisa, Memory Mucherahowa, Joel Mugabe and Alois Bunjira. These guys were so good that they would make you work hard at training sessions,” he said. Tsodzo broke into the Saints first team in 1993, but left the club for Masvingo United in 2001. In 2003, he went back to Bulawayo where he played for Highlanders and left the club to join Mwana Africa in 2006. He formed a formidable partnership with Thomas Svesve at the back. They helped the club reach the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup. ‘We won the CBZ Cup at Mwana Africa and that enabled us to participate in the Confederation Cup in 2007. I remember scoring some crucial goals at Mwana Africa in the Confederation Cup in that year. I then played for Hwange in Division One and scored 20 goals to help them gain promotion to the top flight,” he said. The 2002 Soccer Star of the Year finalist made his Warriors debut in 1995, albeit, in a doomed Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against then Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) when most of the senior members refused to travel to the then deadly ebola virus hit country. “We did not have proper training that time and we lost the match 5-0. I was then called by Sunday Chidzambwa for a friendly match against Malawi in 2003 and also played in Cosafa tournaments,” he said. On his advice to young players, Tsodzo said they should listen to their coaches and desist from drugs. “If they drink beer, they should make sure not do it excessively. Myself I do not drink during weekdays,” he said.
