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Zhaimu Jambo

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor—
KAZIER Chiefs and Zimbabwe international left-back Zhaimu Jambo has been forced to cut short his professional career after failing to fully recover from a horrific knee injury he sustained two years ago, marking another sad day for the national game’s stars. Jambo, one of the talented left-backs to emerge from the domestic Premiership, had been sidelined by injury since October 2012 and yesterday the former Gunners skipper decided to call time on his career after realising that he could never fully regain fitness.

His club made the official announcement during a Press conference at Naturena, Johannesburg, yesterday where Kaizer Chiefs Football Manager Bobby Motaung, told the media that Jambo, who had been hoping to use the 2014-15 season for his return to the Amakhosi team, was quitting the game.

Motaung said Chiefs would also honour Jambo for his contribution to the club.
“Jimmy Jambo has decided to hang his boots because of the injury that he picked up some two years ago. He felt he wants to hang up his boots and focus on other things in his life because it was increasingly becoming difficult to make his way back to playing competitive football again.

“The coach tried to bring him back, but he struggled to get back until he reached the decision to call time on his playing career. We will still have a proper send off for him once we get the final assessment from the doctors,” said Motaung.

Jambo suffered the terrible knee injury on October 19, 2012 during a Telkom Knock Out first round match against BidVest Wits following a collision with fellow countryman Tinashe Nengomasha and has never played again since then.

He then underwent an operation in November 2012, but doctors indicated that his return to competitive action was not guaranteed anymore.
Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter is understood to have shared the same sentiments with the doctors, with the Englishman reportedly indicating to the club that he feared that Jambo would not be able to match the demands of Premiership competition.

The 26-year-old defender, who started his career with Dynamos juniors, returned to training in March last year but 16 months later he has now given up.

Jambo, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, goes out having started 64 games for Chiefs scoring two goals.
But there are indications that it is not all gloomy for Jambo in his post playing career with Chiefs understood to have insured their players against injury and the Zimbabwean now looks set to benefit from that scheme and claim some compensation for his disability to continue with his career.
Jambo still had one year left on his Chiefs contract, which also entitles him to benefits from the club.

Former Gunners director and zifa Northern Region secretary-general Sweeney Mushonga, said he had been saddened by the news that Jambo had been forced into premature retirement.

Mushonga said although they were aware of the seriousness of the injury that Jambo had suffered, they had always remained hopeful that the defender would fully recover to reclaim his place in the Chiefs team.

“I think from the time of his injury, you could see that it was a bad tackle. We had all hoped that he would heal and I know he had been working very hard to try and get back to action.

“It is sad for the player and it is sad for the country because we have lost a talented player who still had a lot to offer to the national team and personally I am also very saddened by this.

“We always look back with nostalgia at his time at Gunners where he was vice-captain and then later became the captain and he was someone who was passionate and dedicated to his career.

“We will assist were we can because he needs wisdom to adjust to a new environment and progress with his life and I can also say he is still welcome at Gunners should he want to come back to the club,’’ Mushonga said.

Jambo also played for the national Under-20 and Under-23 sides before graduating to the Warriors where he featured in just over a dozen games.
At Chiefs, he was one of a strong Zimbabwean contingent that included Mathew Rusike, Kingston Nkatha, Willard Katsande, Knowledge Musona and Lincoln Zvasiya.

Jambo’s close friend and former Gunners teammate Ovidy Karuru is also on the verge of completing his Amakhosi move and ironically when Karuru featured for Chiefs in a pre-season match against Chippa United last Saturday, the midfielder wore the Number 29 jersey that had become synonymous with Zhaimu.

The defender’s retirement also opens one more slot for a foreigner for Chiefs which is also being contested for by a Togolese striker but Amakhosi appear to be looking at having Karuru immediately stepping in.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg United striker Terrance Mandaza could miss the start of the new League season after getting stuck in Zimbabwe due to work permit issues.

Mandaza is currently missing at training with United while the rest of his team are hard at work preparing for the new campaign.
However, Team of Choice manager Quinton Jetto is hoping that the Zimbabwean international’s papers would be sorted out very soon.
“He is still in Zimbabwe trying to work out the issue of his work permit,” said.