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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
AT the young age of 26, when some footballers are yet to reach their peak, the curtain came down on the career of Zhaimu Jambo. A horrific injury, after a bad tackle by Tinashe Nengomasha, brought his career to a premature end and after two years of battling for recovery, he announced two years ago that he was calling it quits.

“I really wanted to go for another five more years, but then I came to a position where I had to say ‘Thank you God’, I achieved what I wanted to in soccer,” said Jambo.

“Though my career was cut short, I’m not bitter with anyone for that because for someone coming from the ghetto to where I ended up, it’s something to thank God for, it’s something to be appreciated.

“I still remember, I was hurt when it happened because I could feel that it was my year. I could feel when I was playing under Stuart Baxter everything had changed.

“I could tell that this was going to be my year. I made the first eleven and I played all the games until the day I got injured.

“I think that was going to be my best season in Chiefs’ colours. Unfortunately, the season was cut short because of injury.”

He believed he would bounce back.

“I thought I would come back. I had it in my mind that I would return. Everything went very well until I finished my rehab, but then something frustrated me.

“It wasn’t about the injury, but I realised maybe it was God’s decision, it was God’s plan because it’s God who gave me the talent.

“So I decided to quit because of the frustration, but I don’t regret my decision. I could have come back, although I wasn’t going to be 100 percent, I could give my 90 percent which is still good anyway.

“But let me make it clear that I don’t have anything personal against Tinashe. He still remains my friend. If you see us talking you wouldn’t think he is the same person who cut my career short. It happened and I don’t think it was intentional on his part.

“We are still friends, we still talk and laugh whenever we meet. No grudges. I actually told him ‘feel free, don’t feel bad about what happened. It happened because God meant it to be like that’,” says Jambo.

Jambo is now pursuing other interests to sustain his young family.

Married to Tendai, Jambo has a two-year-old son who is also a left-footer.

“All I can do is to support these guys. I am happy they made it (to the Nations Cup finals).

“We have got a great team. I am not sure I can compare them with the Dream Team because I didn’t see most of those games, to be honest. But we have a good team at the moment.”

Starting his career from the Dynamos juniors and then joining Division One side Gunners, Jambo had worked his way up until fate cut his career.

But how did he end up in South Africa?

“Initially, I was supposed to go to Orlando Pirates. That was my deal. I was supposed to go for trials, but coincidentally my agent who had arranged an earlier trial in South Africa invited me to go to Sweden for another trial.

“So I ended up going to Sweden. I went together with Gilbert Mushangazhike.

“When I came back that’s when Edzai Kasinauyo spotted me and told me about going to South Africa. But then it was complicated because I was waiting for a response from Sweden.

“Coincidentally, that was the same time Onismor Bhasera was leaving Chiefs and they wanted a replacement. So he told me Bobby (Motaung) was calling, but then I didn’t know who Bobby was.

“So the first day I refused, but then the second day we talked about it again and after weighing my options, I decided I should give it a try. So I gave him my passport.

“When I went there I was expecting to go for trials, but only to be surprised there were no trials. I just went straight to the office, they had a contract waiting for me already. So I didn’t do any trials at Chiefs.

“I don’t know where they saw me. Maybe, they had faith or they went through my CV I don’t know. The first time Bobby saw me playing was at training when I already had a contract,” he recalls

Injuries greeted his arrival in South Africa, but after making a grand debut in a match against England giants Manchester City he refused to look back.

“My first game wearing Kaizer Chiefs’ uniform was against Manchester City. It’s a big memory for me because that is when they started buying big name players like Emmanuel Adebayor, Robinho, (Benjani) Mwaruwari was there as well, I think.

“So playing against those stars, in my first game in South Africa, is one of my best memories.”

He could also have played for Dynamos here.

“I played in the Dynamos juniors to the point when I was expecting to get a contract for the first team at Dynamos, but then it didn’t happen that way,” he said.

“I think that was the period when Dynamos had just come from the Kidznet project, that generation which had players like Norman Maroto, Trymore Mtisi, Esau Amisi etc.

“They were our seniors from school. So the new coaches who came after Bambo (Moses Chunga) probably realised they wanted experienced players so they went for senior players more than the juniors because Bambo had promoted a number of juniors.

“I am not sure who the coaches were then, but I think they didn’t have faith in the juniors. So none of us was given a contract then.

“Coach Elvis Chiweshe was always telling us that we have a good ‘A’ team.”

He then joined Gunners.

“My first year, Dynamos wanted to buy me out from Gunners, but I refused because that was the same team where I had come from and I was still the same person they didn’t want to sign,” said Jambo.

“So I decided to stick where I was getting game time.

“That’s how I was stuck with Gunners. Luckily I got national Under-20 caps while at Gunners and I think I got my first national team call-up when I was again at Gunners.

“Of course, Dynamos are a big team, but I couldn’t leave.”