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The Herald, March 5, 1980
DYNAMOS are planning a benefit game, probably next month, in honour of George Shaya— one of the greatest soccer stars in the Salisbury club’s 17-year history.

“If everything goes according to plan, the match will be played at Rufaro Stadium and all the proceeds from the gate takings will be given to George”, Dynamos chairman Shepherd Murape said yesterday.

Murape said Shaya, who has now entered his 17th year in top division football and has represented the country in several internationals since 1969, will be invited to select his own team which will be challenged by Dynamos.

“Plans of this benefit game are still very much in their early stages, but we are determined to make it a success,” Murape said.

“George deserves some form of a big thank you from us and all our fans after all the years of superb service that he has given us.”

Murape said they would soon contact the NPSL and ZIFA for permission to stage the benefit game.

“To make certain that we draw a big crowd at the match we are going to invite several international stars from neighbouring countries.

“Players whom we are going to approach include South African stars like Jomo Sono, Shakes Mashaba, Ace Ntsholeongo and ‘Teenage’ Dhladhla.

“Former Dynamos stars who are out of the country like Ernest Kamba and Peter “Thunderboots” Nyama will also be approached for the benefit game.

“Fans should not mistake this game to be a testimonial match to force Shaya into early retirement,” he said.

“It’s nothing of the sort. It’s purely a benefit game to thank him for the services he has offered us in the last 17 years.

“There will be nothing to stop Shaya remaining in the field after the benefit game,” Murape stressed.

Shaya (32) joined Dynamos as a teenager in 1963. Apart from representing the country in several internationals, he is a past five-time winner of the Rhodesian Soccer Star of the Year award.

 LESSONS FOR TODAY
What did it take for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga and others to become international household names? Apart from paying players well, isn’t it that they treat players as national heroes in their own right? This is the reason why they have halls of fame, as marks of posterity?

As we are in the twilight years of one of the country’s greatest soccer players — George “Mastermind” Shaya, the best that the nation can do is to hold hands and say thank you for being the greatest, and as a black man, playing soccer in a racist country, breaking the barriers and putting us on the global map.

Honourable Kirsty Coventry and her ministry working together with the Soccer Legends led by Charlie Jones, ZIFA, Dynamos FC and others can prepare a bigger and better benefit event for this soccer pitch giant in this 40th Independence anniversary.

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