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Zim star defenders

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By Sheldon Hakata

IN football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
There are four types of defenders on a team, a centre back, sweeper, fullback and wingback.
The centre back and full back positions are essential in most modern formations.
When considering defenders in football, it is important to look not only at the players’ defensive attributes, such as keeping clean sheets, but also the amount of goals and assists they pick up in a season.
For this reason, the core business for defenders is ‘defending’.
A defender should be at ease with possession and should not only possess the technical skill but also the physical ability to survive in a match that is to last the entire 90 minutes, which is the regular time of a game.
The same resolve to stop opponents from scoring should be applied to scoring goals from set pieces.
Defenders must not just remain at the back, but must impact the game from an offensive point of view.
A defender should have a commanding presence at the back and also have a frequent presence in the opposing penalty box.
Former Highlanders and Warriors defender, the late Mercedes ‘Rambo’ Sibanda, was a marvel to watch.
Rambo, as Sibanda was affectionately known, was as strong as a horse with a never-say-die attitude.
He could wrestle a striker for possession, win and dribble past.
He was famous for overlapping from his right back position and trouble most goalkeepers with ferocious long efforts.
It was a nightmare to get past Rambo.
Rambo was comfortable with the ball and rarely miscalculated
He had excellent ball control techniques, chest control, agile legs, quick reactions and good movements that usually terrorised opponents. He had some telling passes.
He was christened ‘Rambo’ because of his unpredictable exploits.
Alexander ‘The Cool Ruler’ Maseko was another Highlanders (moniker Tshilamoya) stalwart who relied on his long legs to thwart strikers.
He got the nickname ‘Cool Ruler’ for his calmness and measured approach to the game.
Douglas ‘British’ Mloyi made the core of the Tshilamoya defence in the 1980s, playing alongside Maseko.
Mloyi was a tough marker as well as hard tackler with excellent sliding tackles that could stop any threats towards his goal.
The Dream Team of the 1990s defence was well marshalled by Ephraim Chawanda.
Chawanda played for Zimbabwe Saints, ‘Chauya Chikwata’.
He made a big impression on Reinhard Fabisch-coached Warriors, partnering with Francis ‘Sandura’ Shonhai as well as the late Paul Gundani.
Chawanda was good both in the air and on the ground.
He used to employ hard tackles and organised the shape of his defence very well.
He was one of the reasons the National Sports Stadium would always be filled to the bream during the Dream Team era.
Chawanda became a legend and darling of Zimbabwean soccer fans for his no-nonsense approach at the back, leading many soccer lovers to go to the stadium without thinking twice, simply to watch the beloved defender’s exploits.
The late Paul Gundani was another defender worth talking about.
On January 22 1995, in a World Cup qualifier against Cameroon at the National Sports Stadium, Gundani scored a stunner after he wove his way past almost the entire West Africans’ team. The goal remains etched as one of the momorables that changed the scorelines.
The overlapping defender went straight for goal after being picked by Bruce Grobbelaar from the back and beat the Cameroon goalie.
The late Dynamos left back, Oliver Kateya, was one of the first to popularise the overlapping style in the country.
He pulled some ferocious long range shots that most goalkeepers found difficult to deal with.
Most of Kateya’s goal-bound attempts ended in goals.
Kaitano ‘Munhu Mutema’ Tembo was another fine defender, comfortable with both the rough and smooth but he was highly temperamental.
In a game against CAPS United at Rufaro Stadium, when Dynamos were doing their ritual prayer, Alois Bunjira kicked the ball into goal while the opposition was lined up, kneeling in a prayer.
This did not go down well with Tembo who, in game time, went straight for ‘Criss Cross’, shattering his leg in the very first minute.
Bunjira suffered a broken leg.
Kaitano received his marching orders but Dynamos won the encounter 1-0.
Ephert Lungu, a former Rio Tinto and Warriors defender, was another defence stalwart who would not give strikers breathing space.
He was a tight marker who marshalled a watertight defence.
Arcadia United had Joey ‘Mafero’ Antipas.
This tough and reliable defender could not be easily fooled; no amount of trickery from a striker worked on him for he could read the best of strikers.
CAPS United’s steely defender, William Chikauro, brought tough moments for a lot of strikers. He was fit and agile.
The humble Chikauro marshalled his backline with impressive expertise.
He was part of the Green Machine that won the championship in the 1980s.
Chikauro’s partnership with Charles ‘Raw Meat’ Sibanda was so formidable that few strikers could break it.
Another CAPS United left back, Size Torindo, stabilised the Green Machine’s defence.
He was neither stylish nor wasteful, but tigerish in his approach.
The then Sunday Marimo, now Sunday Chidzambwa, was another player who made life difficult for a number of strikers with his defence antics.
Vietnam Stand supporters would always shout ‘Never on a Sunday’ whenever Dynamos played at Rufaro Stadium.
He served both Dynamos and the national team with dignity and shrewdness.

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