Memo’s tribute to Joe Mugabe
I first met Joe Mugabe during our teenage years in Zimbabwe with George Nechironga and Steven Chikodzi. We became very good friends.
Our friendship did not begin in England. Our friendship started at Under 16 Level when he played for CAPS United, and I was playing for Dynamos. I am sure most people did not know about this because we do not have photos that chronicle that history, unlike these days where we have smartphones, and you can take photos anytime.
I played against Joe, he was slightly my junior, but I know his impact at CAPS United. I know how he kept CAPS going in some difficult times, and there are not many players who were as loyal to CAPS United as Joe.
Most people talked about our rivalry when we graduated to the senior team, but Joe and I were only rivals at work because we did the same job. We became friends for many years.
In terms of music, we had the same taste. We would meet at Thomas Mapfumo’s concerts because we both loved Mukanya’s music.
A few weeks ago, Joe visited me at my house, and we spoke about a wide range of issues. He told me about his stomach problem. I also have a nagging ailment, and when that ailment began, I confided in Joe about my fears, but he would laugh it off, saying “Iwewe Gwenzi unopenga unotya zvinhu zvisina basa, uchiri bhoo.”
When he told me that he had stomach problems, I also laughed it off using his words “Iwewe unopenga wakungotyawo zvisina basa.”
We have our association of Zim Legends here in the UK. His death came as we were preparing to play a match in honour of the late David Mandigora. I am the chairman, and he was my deputy. He would encourage us to work hard towards making the match a success as he could not do much because he was not feeling well.
When I heard the message of his death I was hurt and I could not believe it. I went and sat at someplace at my house where we used to sit each time he came to my house. To show just how close we were, there was also a place at his house where we would go and sit if I visited his home.
Losing Joe is like me losing my right hand. He was my right-hand man, and I was his left-hand man (if there is anything like that).
My relationship with Joe was now beyond CAPS United and Dynamos. We used to share everything.
When we got here in the United Kingdom, we used to share clothes. We shared the same house. We once stayed in one room, three boys from Zimbabwe sleeping on the same bed. We went to Southampton together and shared the same bed until such a time when things changed for the better when we could now afford to live in different apartments.
I thank God that Joe remained my friend until today when he was taken away from us.
When he left CAPS United and joined Sporting Lions, he wanted me to come on board as the Team Manager, and we spoke at length about it. Unfortunately, it did not happen because that was the time I was preparing to leave Zimbabwe and come to England.
As fate would have it, he followed me to the UK after one month. We started staying in the same area.
Living in the UK was an opportunity that we were given to continue our friendship. Therefore, our friendship grew from strength to strength.
People do not give credit where it is due. I always read on social media, especially on Facebook, people writing about the top 10 players from Zimbabwe, and you see some funny names of players who never achieved anything.
But look at Joe Mugabe. He was the mainstay of the team once Joel Shambo retired. But when people write about the best players from Zimbabwe, none puts forward his name. That is very sad, painful, I tell you.
Can you take any player or mention any name of a player who could have been the mainstay of CAPS United? The title-winning team of CAPS United was built around Joe Mugabe. He was there for a long time, but people underrate him.
As far as I am concerned, if we talk about CAPS United legends, the top three are Shackman Tauro, Joel Shambo and Joe Mugabe in that order.
If you are looking for the most influential players or heroes that young players must emulate, look no further than Mugabe. People are respected for staying for long at CAPS, Dynamos and Highlanders like what Joe did because those are the biggest clubs in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe’s most outstanding quality is that he could score goals. If you go to sleep for a second, Joe would score when you least expected it.
There is a photo that is circulating on social media. Joe and I were going toe to toe. In that game, he scored two goals, although we went on to win the match 4-2.
Before every game against CAPS United, the team talk was that we needed to mark Joe out of the game, but it was not always possible. Joe used to score beautiful goals against us.
I hear some people claiming that after Shackman, they were the best scorers for CAPS; Joe is amongst the top scorers for CAPS United. I think there is Shacky Tauro, then someone else and then Joe Mugabe
People are asking me about my most memorable matches when I played against Joe. As far as the most memorable matches are concerned, it is difficult to say because we played too many games against each other.
If anyone remembers their most memorable games, it’s definitely not Mucherahowa or Mugabe. You cannot ask a person like me or Joe which game was his most memorable one when we played so many games.
He played for CAPS for almost a decade, and then you ask him to point out one or two memorable games, that is not possible.
Every time we played a match against each other, we knew that it was a game to remember. I understand that memorable means a game to remember. I started to play against Joe at Under 16, and then we started meeting at the centre line during the toss as the respective captains of Dynamos and CAPS United.
Joe Mugabe was very strict. He did not tolerate nonsense. He could read people’s characters, and he could tell you off. He did not beat around the bush.
Kode came from the old school where the younger players were supposed to know their place, and he did not like youngsters who did not know their boundaries. Joe was a strict disciplinarian.
He will be missed. May his soul rest in peace.
