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Danai Chitakasha
Special Correspondent
THE late Oliver Kateya, the former Dynamos left-back who started off as a winger was nicknamed “The Flying Saucer!” This was for one good reason, his pace down the flanks.

A joke is told from the terraces of how he went to Greece for trials. When he got the ball, he shot off like a bullet. The coach reminded him that they were looking for a footballer not a 100-metre athlete.

Terrace talk? Most likely but it goes to show how his reputation as a speed merchant dominated football discourse in our football arenas. As part of our football narrative, let me use the man we also knew as “The Monitoring Force” as a starting point in today’s discussion — Our Football Speed Merchants.

Ten will be my magical number and I hope readers can also add to the list.

Here we go:

1. Oliver Kateya — As highlighted above, the legend had pace to burn. I understand that he started his career with teams like Metal Box as a number 11. When he joined Dynamos, the emergence of young winger Edward “Madhobha” Katsvere forced then coach Shepherd Murape to make a tactical change. To accommodate both players, Kateya became a No. 3 or wingback, to use modern football parlance.

It proved to be a shrewd move and with it emerged one of the most effective wing combination in Zimbabwean football in the early 1980s. We knew Kateya as an overlapping left-back and he used his pace to maximum effect. It was a joy to see the ebullient “Bla Ole”, as we also knew him, flying down the wing in attack and then quickly flying back to stop any counter-attack. The man was indeed a speed merchant with boundless energy.

2. Charlie Jones — The man who did duty with CAPS United and Arcadia United was nicknamed “Kabhasikoro”. This nickname captured his weapon as a player, speed and an eye for goal. Although his opportunities were a bit limited at CAPS United, whenever he got his chance, he troubled defenders with his pace. At Arcadia United he scored many goals and he is indeed a legend of our game.
3. Madinda Ndlovu — The Bosso legend was a renowned speedster. Nicknamed “Juluka” or “Kathazile”, he was indeed a nightmare for defenders when in full flow.

I remember one game when he earned the Zimbabwe “Dream Team’’ a cherished win against Cameroon at the National Sports Stadium. He came in with 15 or so minutes to go and started troubling the tiring Indomitable Lions defence with his pace down the flank. Before long, he beat a defender for pace, switched the ball to Vitalis Takawira on the other wing who sent in a tantalising cross for Agent “Ajira” Sawu to head home. It was a huge goal which was received with thunderous applause from the 60 000 capacity crowd. Those were the days!

4. Jonathan Chigwinya — It was veteran football commentator Charles “CNN” Mabika who gave him the nickname “Seke Express”. This was in appreciation of the weapon that he used to terrorise defenders — pace. Chigwinya played for Airforce of Zimbabwe side Blue Swallows. He had pace to burn.
5. Gift “Ghetto” Mpariwa — The goal machine was an out and out striker who relied heavily on his pace to leave defenders for dead. Any through ball to chase, Mpariwa was always the first to get to it.

He also scored many goals with his head but it was his pace which often struck fear in defenders.

6. Peter “Nsukuzonke” Ndlovu — There are two matches that I watched which confirmed the legend as a speed master of note.

The Olympic qualifier against Tunisia at Barbourfields Stadium. The Tunisia players who faced Ndlovu on this day will remember him until their dying days. He terrorised them with a combination of dribbling prowess and pace which left them shattered.

That match will go down as one of the best ever played on the local scene.

The other match I remember was the 4-1 demolition of South Africa at the National Sports Stadium. I saw him outpacing the South Africa defenders at will and one such move resulted in him scoring a sublime goal which will live long in memory. Peter had many qualities and speed was one of his weapons which he used to devastating effect.

He was known as “Nuddy’’ by Coventry City fans in England and his other nicknames being “The Bulawayo Bullet’’ and “Nsukuzonke’’, an isiNdebele word referring to his ability to turn on the style everytime/day he played.

7. Jerry Chidawa — They called him “Dzunguman”, the man who spend time as a freedom fighter during the war of Independence had one weapon on the football pitch — pace. Since he started playing high level football at a relatively mature age, his technique was a bit suspect. He struggled with basics like ball control but he more than compensated with his pace. His teammates at Black Rhinos knew what to do, give him a through pass to chase and hope for the best. It worked and our legend scored many goals by simply outpacing defenders. He became a feared striker during his heydays.
8. Gift Mudangwe — Nicknamed “Macgyver” for his endless left foot trickery, the legend was a handful for any defender.

His reputation was cemented during one night match at Rufaro Stadium when his team CAPS United beat bitter rivals Dynamos 3-1. Mudangwe gave Dynamos right back Garnet Muchongwe a torrid time leading to the accomplished defender’s early retirement. It was a nightmare night for the likeable “Ganza”, he simply could not live with Mudangwe’s pace.

9. Joel Lupahla — Nicknamed “Dubai”, used his pace to maximum effect. One goal he scored at the 2004 AFCON finals in Tunisia confirmed his reputation as a speedster of note.

He picked a ball from his own half and went on an unstoppable run. His gazelle like run is still vivid in my mind as he left the Algerian defenders for dead. The icing on the cake was that he had the composure to bury the ball home thereby earning the Warriors their first win at the AFCON tournament. It was a great goal!

10. Bheki Mlotshwa — Nicknamed Pisa Pisa, I think I can put my head on the block and declare him the fastest player to grace our football arenas. At Dynamos, Bheki was simply unstoppable and he used his pace to maximum effect.

What a player he was.

These dear readers are my pick. Pardon me for not mentioning the current generation, I have not watched them closely. I have heard about the Talent Chawapiwa and Kuda Mahachi but I cannot talk about them with enough authority.

I hope this article will initiate the discussion as we continue in our quest to have a good record of our football. Let us all play our part . . . Asante Sana!!