Tendai Chisiri
“Sports journalists should attend home matches of Premier Soccer League outfits countrywide in order to have unbiased soccer stars selection”, said the late football iconic footballer George Shaya in an interview in 2014 at his residence in Glen- Norah.
The five- time Soccer Star of the year winner here showed his vision of transparency in local football and as someone without the culture of dishonest. He understood that he rose to fame through hard work and dedication and hoped that this should be passed to the young generation.
One cannot talk of the Zimbabwean football without mentioning George Shaya or Freddy Mkwesha. With resemblance to his name Shaya in Shona which means jaws in English, he respected the use of jaws- eating – to emphasize friendliness between people with the same cause. ‘are you safe to start the interview without eating or drinking something”, he asked before the discussion. Our writer a local had no hassle in having a chat with him without sharing food with the pride of Zimbabwean football.
His wife who sat respectful besides him told me he was now suffering from dementia and that was long before his leg was amputated.
The late legend George Shaya played before my time and his exploits were the envy of the football community. The news of his death brought grief to former PSL players, coaches, football players, Dynamos officials, sons and daughters of former players, Minister of sport and ministry officials, friends and relatives who paid their last respect at his place of residence. Even His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa joined in mourning the departed football maestro.
He was much respected Glen- Norah to the extent that even his favorite brand of cigarettes Kingsgate was in scarce due to low demand, bottle store shops nearby would have its supply to show the respect they had for their football star.
Construction of the Glen Norah started 1971 and was completed in October 1973. The construction was by a multinational company called John Sisk & Son. At completion, the suburb had 6,400 houses. George Shaya went up to Standard 6 at Chitsere Primary School in Mbare where he resided with his parents.
Before playing for Dynamos, he turned up for St Paul’s Musami FC under Father Anthony Davis where they lifted the league title.
“The biggest disappointment George Shaya made to the fans was to turn down the offer to play in Portugal”, said an older Dynamos fan at the funeral on Wednesday. Freddy Mkwesha went on to play in Portugal.
“I vividly remember when Dynamos were playing against Cam Motors FC and George Shaya had not been fielded. The team was 2-0 down when George Shaya and Daniel “ Dhidhidhi”, were brought in and Dynamos came from behind to win the match”, added the over 60 years old fan. The two had been other commitments at British American Tobacco Company where they worked and which also sponsored Dynamos fc before they were called in to help the team. Daniel Ncube is the father to former top flight league players Daniel Bingadadi, Justin Bingadadi and Michael Bingadadi.
In the late 1990’s as a chairman of Dynamos, his administration was second to none with the club competing in the 1998 CAF Champions League Final.
George Shaya like his former classmate music legend and former PSL Sporting Lions FC owner DR Thomas Mukanya had the same sentiment that the young generation are tomorrow’s leaders so the older generation and the young generation should be inclusive to achieve one goal. He died at the age of 74 at Garden City Clinic in Highfield after a long illness of diabetes.
He is survived by his wife Agnes and one son. He will be buried on Saturday at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare.
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