Sports / Local
Nqobizitha Maenzanise laid to rest
20 Feb 2014 at 07:42hrs | Views
Jethro Maenzanise (L) displays his late brother, Nqobizitha Maenzanise's potrait and trophies. - Zim Mail Photo
FORMER AmaZulu, Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints player Nqobizitha Maenzanise, who died on Sunday, was given a hero's send-off yesterday with a number of football players, administrators and legends paying their last respects.
A church service was held at the Bulawayo Baptist Church before the legendary player was laid to rest at West Park Cemetery in the morning.
Businessman and AmaZulu boss Delma Lupepe sang praises of the late Warriors legend.
"It is a fact that AmaZulu would not have been promoted to the Premier League, let alone won the championship, if it were not for Maenzanise. He was a true leader on the pitch and people like Mkhuphali Masuku cut their teeth through him.
"He had great skill, but unfortunately at AmaZulu we got him at about 32 or 33 years. With the right guidance, he would have played in Europe. He was a tough tackler and a true anchorman," Lupepe said.
After winning the championship with AmaZulu in 2003, Maenzanise quit football.
Lupepe said Humpty or Jackal, as Maenzanise was known, lost out on an opportunity to play overseas because of lack of guidance.
"He had potential and skills and could have played overseas if he had a manager who was going to guide him and give him direction. He could read the game and had a true understanding of the game and had he gone into coaching, he would have been a good coach.
Unfortunately, local football has no structure to follow up on the players and help them get badges or certificates," Lupepe said.
Lupepe said Maenzanise was a unifier as he played for the city's three rivals Zimbabwe Saints, AmaZulu and Highlanders and united the players.
"In life and death, he was a unifier. He has also brought together AmaZulu, Zimbabwe Saints and Highlanders. He had also accepted Christ as his personal saviour and also unified Christians," he added.
Former AmaZulu and Zimbabwe Saints coach Philimon Dangarembwa said he was deeply saddened by Maenzanise's death.
During his eulogy, Dangarembwa read a card that came from former players based overseas.
The card was signed by Muzondiwa Mugadza, Emmanuel Khumalo, Eugene Langa, Matambanashe Sibanda and Lloyd Jowa.
Former AmaZulu captain Ferdinand Mwanchindalo said Maenzanise was a committed player.
"I have just arrived from Masvingo to pay my last respects. Maenzanise had very good leadership skills and was very friendly to everyone in the team. He was always encouraging us. Even at training he did not want us to lose. If you lost even at training, he would not want to be in the same team with you. He was a very disciplined player," he said.
How Mine captain Hebert Dick said: "When I came to AmaZulu, he was already a senior player. He was a good leader and very hardworking. He always used to be the first to arrive at training together with Ferdinand Mwanchindalo. It is so sad because when I last saw him last year I did not even know that he was sick," the former AmaZulu defender said.
Nkosana Gumbo, Maenzanise's former teammate at Zimbabwe Saints and AmaZulu, also spoke about his relationship with the former Warriors man.
"I was very close to him. We were friends because we used to like the same type of music which is reggae. But one thing about him was that he was at times very difficult to understand. He was very moody, but was dedicated to football. I am very saddened by his departure," he said.
Highlanders manager Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo, who also played along the legendary Warriors player, described Maenzanise as a hard worker.
"When he got into the first team in the 1980s, he was willing to learn. He was a very fast and very brilliant player," he said.
Another player who also played with the late Maenzanise at AmaZulu, Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, said: "I played with him in the Highlanders Under-14 and 16 teams. We later reunited at AmaZulu. He had exceptional skills and was a cut above the rest. He was a good dribbler and tackler. When I took over the armband from him, it was very difficult because he had left the team when it was at a very high level. So I had to maintain that," he said.
Another footballer, Isaac Riyano, described the late Maenzanise as a talented player.
"What was said in the church service sums up what kind of person he was. He was very intelligent and very talented. You could see that he had a God-given talent," he said.
Former Highlanders striker Nkululeko Dlodlo said: "He was a very good and talented player. He was a team player and would motivate players to work hard. It is a very big loss."
A church service was held at the Bulawayo Baptist Church before the legendary player was laid to rest at West Park Cemetery in the morning.
Businessman and AmaZulu boss Delma Lupepe sang praises of the late Warriors legend.
"It is a fact that AmaZulu would not have been promoted to the Premier League, let alone won the championship, if it were not for Maenzanise. He was a true leader on the pitch and people like Mkhuphali Masuku cut their teeth through him.
"He had great skill, but unfortunately at AmaZulu we got him at about 32 or 33 years. With the right guidance, he would have played in Europe. He was a tough tackler and a true anchorman," Lupepe said.
After winning the championship with AmaZulu in 2003, Maenzanise quit football.
Lupepe said Humpty or Jackal, as Maenzanise was known, lost out on an opportunity to play overseas because of lack of guidance.
"He had potential and skills and could have played overseas if he had a manager who was going to guide him and give him direction. He could read the game and had a true understanding of the game and had he gone into coaching, he would have been a good coach.
Unfortunately, local football has no structure to follow up on the players and help them get badges or certificates," Lupepe said.
Lupepe said Maenzanise was a unifier as he played for the city's three rivals Zimbabwe Saints, AmaZulu and Highlanders and united the players.
"In life and death, he was a unifier. He has also brought together AmaZulu, Zimbabwe Saints and Highlanders. He had also accepted Christ as his personal saviour and also unified Christians," he added.
Former AmaZulu and Zimbabwe Saints coach Philimon Dangarembwa said he was deeply saddened by Maenzanise's death.
During his eulogy, Dangarembwa read a card that came from former players based overseas.
The card was signed by Muzondiwa Mugadza, Emmanuel Khumalo, Eugene Langa, Matambanashe Sibanda and Lloyd Jowa.
Former AmaZulu captain Ferdinand Mwanchindalo said Maenzanise was a committed player.
"I have just arrived from Masvingo to pay my last respects. Maenzanise had very good leadership skills and was very friendly to everyone in the team. He was always encouraging us. Even at training he did not want us to lose. If you lost even at training, he would not want to be in the same team with you. He was a very disciplined player," he said.
How Mine captain Hebert Dick said: "When I came to AmaZulu, he was already a senior player. He was a good leader and very hardworking. He always used to be the first to arrive at training together with Ferdinand Mwanchindalo. It is so sad because when I last saw him last year I did not even know that he was sick," the former AmaZulu defender said.
Nkosana Gumbo, Maenzanise's former teammate at Zimbabwe Saints and AmaZulu, also spoke about his relationship with the former Warriors man.
"I was very close to him. We were friends because we used to like the same type of music which is reggae. But one thing about him was that he was at times very difficult to understand. He was very moody, but was dedicated to football. I am very saddened by his departure," he said.
Highlanders manager Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo, who also played along the legendary Warriors player, described Maenzanise as a hard worker.
"When he got into the first team in the 1980s, he was willing to learn. He was a very fast and very brilliant player," he said.
Another player who also played with the late Maenzanise at AmaZulu, Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, said: "I played with him in the Highlanders Under-14 and 16 teams. We later reunited at AmaZulu. He had exceptional skills and was a cut above the rest. He was a good dribbler and tackler. When I took over the armband from him, it was very difficult because he had left the team when it was at a very high level. So I had to maintain that," he said.
Another footballer, Isaac Riyano, described the late Maenzanise as a talented player.
"What was said in the church service sums up what kind of person he was. He was very intelligent and very talented. You could see that he had a God-given talent," he said.
Former Highlanders striker Nkululeko Dlodlo said: "He was a very good and talented player. He was a team player and would motivate players to work hard. It is a very big loss."
Source - NewsDay
