THERE have been quite a lot of Zimbabwean footballers who have followed in their fathers or siblings football footsteps becoming professional players.
BY TERRY MADYAUTA
But twins who have managed to forge successful football careers at the same time are quite a rarity.
Locally, the mention of twins in domestic football is sure to take many down memory lane to the exploits of the Mugeyi and Muteji brothers, who took the local game by storm in the 1990s.
The legendary former Warriors duo of Wilfred and William Mugeyi illuminated local stadia for the now defunct Highfield side Black Aces with the former being crowned Soccer-Star-of-the -Year in 1992.
Three years later the Midlands town of Gweru unleashed the Muteji twins Abel and the late Cain, who captivated local football fans’ imagination after featuring in the classy Zimbabwe Under-23 team that agonisingly came close to winning the 1995 All-Africa Games gold medal.
The side also painfully lost in the final qualifier of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games to a star studded Nigerian side which featured future greats such as Nwankwo Kanu, Austine “Jay Jay” Okocha and Celestine Babayaro, just to mention a few.
The Mubaiwa twins Peter and Patrick then entered the fray at the turn of the millennium, playing for the now-defunct Harare United before finding a new home in the South African National First Division.
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Warriors forward Tendai Ndoro and his twin brother Takudzwa have also left a mark on the domestic football game, although the former has enjoyed more success both locally and beyond the country’s borders.
The last few years has also witnessed the emergence of the Moyo twins Kelvin and Elvis as their stock continues to rise by the day after recently inspiring FC Platinum to their maiden Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title. Their elder brother Thabani Moyo starred for Bulawayo giants Highlanders, while their father Bishop, played for the now defunct Bulawayo side Eagles as a midfielder.
The twin brothers, however, decided to follow their own path away from the City of Kings after packing their bags for Zvishavane in 2012 having passed through Amazulu and Highlanders juniors as well as Bantu Rovers.
For a moment their decision seemed like a step backward.
Little did the Moyo twins know that they were following a biblical star that was leading them to a place where they would become Zimbabwe league champions.
In short, the two are heroes of the mining town and just like the Mugeyi twins before them, they make another set of twins to have won the league title.
Just two months ago they helped to FC Platinum triumph by winning their maiden premier league title, while Kelvin was voted first runner up on the 2017 soccer stars’ list after a sterling season in the heart of FC Platinum defence.
Last year FC Platinum conceded a mere 15 goals from 30 matches and this year the same number of goals in 34 encounters.
The Sports Hub caught up with the twins who are still in celebratory mood and are dreaming of making more history on the African Safari this year.
Kelvin relishes his immense contribution for FC Platinum after a season that marked history in local football and says 2018 is a year of reaching new heights and is a cut above the rest in his centre-back role. with his cultured left foot, he netted four crucial goals for the champions.
“Last season I played well but even the 2016 season was thrilling for me. It was a very special season for me and the club and what made it more special was the fact that we made history by becoming the first team outside of Harare and Bulawayo to win the league championship,” he said.
“We won the league and also became the first team to win the Champions of Champions and I also made myself and my family proud by being named among the best of the best.
“It’s a crucial part of my career which I will forever cherich as a player and that will make me work harder.
“The African Safari will give us great chances both as players and as a team.
“There will be scouts at the matches so we all need to be at our best every minute we play in the oncoming CAF Champions league, but the first thing is to play for the team and make sure we work hard to reach our target.
“My dream is to break another personal record and help the team to reach the group stages and beyond.
Both made their debut for FC Platinum in 2013 and they have been preferred to lead the Platinum rear-guard since then. the twins are without doubt one of the most disciplined pair in the local league.
Elvis believes the CAF Champions league could be a stepping stone to a possible move abroad.
“It’s every player’s dream to play in the African Champions League and I am happy to have been given the opportunity to be part of the team.
“I hope to play well and use the platform very well, maybe one of these days we can be playing abroad. Only God knows what he plans for us but I believe this is our opportunity.
FC Platinum are set to represent Zimbabwe in the CAF Champions league this February and the Moyo twins are no strangers to continental football having played in the Caf Champions League in 2012 and the Confederation Cup in 2015.
While on both occasions FC Platinum failed to progress to the lucrative group stages, the Moyo twins believe gaffer Norman Mapeza’s experience will lead them to the Promised Land this time around.
Born on April 3 in 1993 the duo started their football journey at Mzilikazi High School — the same route travelled by Warriors legend Peter Ndlovu.
They progressed to the Amazulu Juniors and later the famed Highlanders juniors where they rose through the ranks to the Under-19s, before they moved to cross town rivals Bantu Rovers in 2009.
Before the brothers even turned 20, FC Platinum — then under the tutelage of Tendai Chikuni — were forced to open their cheque book for the then Young Warriors pair.
