News / Local
George Shaya's wife delivers a stinging rebuke of Dembare
01 Jun 2025 at 15:37hrs | Views
Agnes Shaya, widow of the late Dynamos and Zimbabwe football legend George Shaya, has delivered a stinging rebuke of the club’s leadership, accusing them of abandoning her husband in his darkest hour and vowing never to accept any form of recognition or gifts from the Harare giants.
Speaking during an emotional interview with sports journalist Yvonne Mangunda on The Sportlight with Yvonne, Amai Shaya did not mince her words, saying the treatment her husband received from Dynamos during his final years was unforgivable.
"Dynamos neglected George," she said. "Honestly, I will never accept any gift from them - even if it's worth US$1 million. The one they were supposed to care for died a bitter man."
George Shaya, a five-time Soccer Star of the Year and widely regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s greatest footballers, passed away on August 24, 2021, after a prolonged illness that led to the amputation of one of his legs.
Despite his iconic status at Dynamos - a club he loyally served and helped build into a dominant force - Amai Shaya said he was left to suffer in silence, abandoned by those who once celebrated his greatness.
She said she personally reached out to the Dynamos leadership for assistance with medical expenses during Shaya’s illness, but was met with shocking resistance.
"I called the Dynamos leadership asking for help with George's medical needs," she recounted. "And I was told they couldn't assist because my husband supposedly wanted to take the team from them."
Her remarks appear to reference long-standing internal divisions within the club, particularly involving majority shareholder Bernard Marriot, who controls 51% of Dynamos shares. According to Amai Shaya, Marriot and his faction viewed George as a threat, believing he harboured ambitions to wrest control of the club - a notion she described as entirely false.
"He never wanted to take the club. That was all politics," she said.
Despite Dynamos' efforts in the past to honour its former players, Amai Shaya's public statement casts a harsh spotlight on how the club treats its legends once the cheering stops. She made it clear that no belated gestures would ever erase the pain her husband endured or change the bitterness of his final years.
George Shaya’s legacy remains etched in Zimbabwe’s football history, but for his widow, the club’s silence during his suffering speaks louder than any tribute ever could.
Speaking during an emotional interview with sports journalist Yvonne Mangunda on The Sportlight with Yvonne, Amai Shaya did not mince her words, saying the treatment her husband received from Dynamos during his final years was unforgivable.
"Dynamos neglected George," she said. "Honestly, I will never accept any gift from them - even if it's worth US$1 million. The one they were supposed to care for died a bitter man."
George Shaya, a five-time Soccer Star of the Year and widely regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s greatest footballers, passed away on August 24, 2021, after a prolonged illness that led to the amputation of one of his legs.
Despite his iconic status at Dynamos - a club he loyally served and helped build into a dominant force - Amai Shaya said he was left to suffer in silence, abandoned by those who once celebrated his greatness.
"I called the Dynamos leadership asking for help with George's medical needs," she recounted. "And I was told they couldn't assist because my husband supposedly wanted to take the team from them."
Her remarks appear to reference long-standing internal divisions within the club, particularly involving majority shareholder Bernard Marriot, who controls 51% of Dynamos shares. According to Amai Shaya, Marriot and his faction viewed George as a threat, believing he harboured ambitions to wrest control of the club - a notion she described as entirely false.
"He never wanted to take the club. That was all politics," she said.
Despite Dynamos' efforts in the past to honour its former players, Amai Shaya's public statement casts a harsh spotlight on how the club treats its legends once the cheering stops. She made it clear that no belated gestures would ever erase the pain her husband endured or change the bitterness of his final years.
George Shaya’s legacy remains etched in Zimbabwe’s football history, but for his widow, the club’s silence during his suffering speaks louder than any tribute ever could.
Source - nehanda
