Sports / Local
Bosso supporter with a difference
07 Sep 2014 at 09:36hrs | Views
"I STARTED following Highlanders when I was still a boy attending school at Copota School of the Blind here in Masvingo. I was doing Grade 3 by that time but I believe I started supporting the black and white stripped team when I was still in my mother's womb. I am emotionally attached to this team."
To many music lovers he reminds them of some of the most creative, charming and talented musicians, the late Paul Matavire and another blind musician
Fanyana Dube. He is described as a genius despite being visually impaired.
He is nowhere near music but a devout Christian who belongs to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and despite his disability he knows soccer like the back of his hand.
Meet Etias Machekeche (37), a provincial labour officer in Masvingo and a devoted Highlanders Football Club fanatic who has followed soccer since the age of 10 despite being visually impaired.
Guess what, as a true SaManyika from the East (Manicaland) he loves, eats and dreams Highlanders so much and would tell you every player's name, both present and former with much ease if not "alarming" precision.
Machekeche says, since birth the sport he has supported is soccer, Highlanders in particular and vows that his blood is black and white and will remain that way until the expiry of his mortal being.
He even travels to watch matches when his team plays but due to work and church commitments he now attends matches that pit his team against Dynamos and Caps United, which he considers to be his side's main rivals, although he admits the matches against DeMbare come first because of the degree of the rivalry.
On why he supports soccer when he is visually impaired, Machekeche said soccer was the only sport he found easy to follow because of its wide coverage, its popularity in the country and beyond.
He gets updates from the electronic media, TV and radio and would obviously depend on what he hears since newspapers are not written in brail which he can read on his own.
"I started following Highlanders when I was still a boy attending school at Copota School of the Blind here in Masvingo. I was doing Grade 3 by that time but I shudder to think I started supporting the black and white striped team when I was still in my mother's womb. I am emotionally attached to this team," said Machekeche.
He said people are surprised to see him at stadia with others yet he is visually impaired.
"I am from a special group and people take it as a ‘misnomer' to find me at the stadium watching soccer. I normally discuss with colleagues who has scored, played well and badly during the game. I find it easy to follow that I can easily narrate how the game has been played.
"Due to the knowledge of my team's players that I have and the way they play, I would give a detailed account of how my team faired.
"This sounds funny but that is how I follow proceedings of a match. I would also be listening to the radio commentary during and after the match. On the build-up of every Bosso match I make sure I listen to Star FM or Sports FM,'' said Machekeche.
He said he was proud of Highlanders' winning culture, good style of play and sound administration and that Bosso was one of the teams in the Premier Soccer League that rarely experienced squabbles emanating from administration boobs, adding that there were always competitive players who displayed smooth flowing football.
"There is professionalism at the team," he said.
"I like my team's consistency; they have never been relegated like the likes of Zimbabwe Saints, Railstars, Amazulu, Bantu, among others. It has been there since the 19th century. However, I am taken aback by the lack of fighting spirit among the current crop of players.
"We still cherish the play displayed by the likes of Adam Ndlovu, Benjamin Konjera, Mercedes Rambo Sibanda (all late). These players knew exactly what it meant to don the black and white jersey; they were playing with their hearts.
"These days mediocrity is the order of the day as players no longer possess the spirit shown by yesteryear stars and my heart bleeds when I see that happening to my team," he said.
He said memories of the early 90s when the Ndlovu brothers, Madinda, Adam and Peter were at their peak are still etched in his memory.
"I remember in the 1990s when the Ndlovu brothers used to mesmerise opponents with their mazy runs with the free-scoring Peter making defenders jump. He would hold opponents' attention as if they are under hypnosis and I loved that. I still cherish those years and wish if the hand of time could be turned back."
He said Highlanders has a chance to lift the PSL championship this year but Dynamos remains a threat especially after beating Bosso back to back.
He bemoaned lack of precision by the current Bosso players in front of goal describing it as the great betrayal which may prove costly in the team's quest to lift the league title. He was, however, quick to say he finds solace in that Bosso is the team with a player who has scored more goals than any other in the PSL.
Bosso's tricky midfielder Charles Sibanda has been on target more than any other player this year with 12 goals to date. With his form, notwithstanding injuries, he is likely to win a golden boot award at the end of the season given that others are firing blanks.
The labour officer said while he is not happy with coach Kevin Kaindu's performance he should be allowed to finish the season and if he fails to land the championship, he should be shown the exit door.
"Kaindu has not been performing to my expectation but firing him at this juncture will not be a wise decision. He is inflicting pain on us by losing to Dynamos. Since he arrived at Highlanders, he has failed to beat Dynamos, and we are not taking that lightly. He has failed to lift the championship for three consecutive years and is on the verge of surrendering it to the same team this year, for the fourth time in a row," he said.
"That is not acceptable and if the same thing happens again this season, it will not be worthwhile to let him continue."
On crowd trouble that normally characterises matches involving Dynamos and Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium, Machekeche said:
"While I do not condone violence at soccer matches, the violence you see happening after we lose to DeMbare is an expression of emotions. But by the same token, I don't urge fans to use violence, we just have to learn to stomach the pain even though we know that finishing a season without testing victory against DeMbare is a bitter pill to swallow," he said.
Machekeche is married to Shamiso and the couple is blessed with a four-year-old son, Motive.
To many music lovers he reminds them of some of the most creative, charming and talented musicians, the late Paul Matavire and another blind musician
Fanyana Dube. He is described as a genius despite being visually impaired.
He is nowhere near music but a devout Christian who belongs to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and despite his disability he knows soccer like the back of his hand.
Meet Etias Machekeche (37), a provincial labour officer in Masvingo and a devoted Highlanders Football Club fanatic who has followed soccer since the age of 10 despite being visually impaired.
Guess what, as a true SaManyika from the East (Manicaland) he loves, eats and dreams Highlanders so much and would tell you every player's name, both present and former with much ease if not "alarming" precision.
Machekeche says, since birth the sport he has supported is soccer, Highlanders in particular and vows that his blood is black and white and will remain that way until the expiry of his mortal being.
He even travels to watch matches when his team plays but due to work and church commitments he now attends matches that pit his team against Dynamos and Caps United, which he considers to be his side's main rivals, although he admits the matches against DeMbare come first because of the degree of the rivalry.
On why he supports soccer when he is visually impaired, Machekeche said soccer was the only sport he found easy to follow because of its wide coverage, its popularity in the country and beyond.
He gets updates from the electronic media, TV and radio and would obviously depend on what he hears since newspapers are not written in brail which he can read on his own.
"I started following Highlanders when I was still a boy attending school at Copota School of the Blind here in Masvingo. I was doing Grade 3 by that time but I shudder to think I started supporting the black and white striped team when I was still in my mother's womb. I am emotionally attached to this team," said Machekeche.
He said people are surprised to see him at stadia with others yet he is visually impaired.
"I am from a special group and people take it as a ‘misnomer' to find me at the stadium watching soccer. I normally discuss with colleagues who has scored, played well and badly during the game. I find it easy to follow that I can easily narrate how the game has been played.
"Due to the knowledge of my team's players that I have and the way they play, I would give a detailed account of how my team faired.
"This sounds funny but that is how I follow proceedings of a match. I would also be listening to the radio commentary during and after the match. On the build-up of every Bosso match I make sure I listen to Star FM or Sports FM,'' said Machekeche.
He said he was proud of Highlanders' winning culture, good style of play and sound administration and that Bosso was one of the teams in the Premier Soccer League that rarely experienced squabbles emanating from administration boobs, adding that there were always competitive players who displayed smooth flowing football.
"There is professionalism at the team," he said.
"I like my team's consistency; they have never been relegated like the likes of Zimbabwe Saints, Railstars, Amazulu, Bantu, among others. It has been there since the 19th century. However, I am taken aback by the lack of fighting spirit among the current crop of players.
"We still cherish the play displayed by the likes of Adam Ndlovu, Benjamin Konjera, Mercedes Rambo Sibanda (all late). These players knew exactly what it meant to don the black and white jersey; they were playing with their hearts.
"These days mediocrity is the order of the day as players no longer possess the spirit shown by yesteryear stars and my heart bleeds when I see that happening to my team," he said.
He said memories of the early 90s when the Ndlovu brothers, Madinda, Adam and Peter were at their peak are still etched in his memory.
"I remember in the 1990s when the Ndlovu brothers used to mesmerise opponents with their mazy runs with the free-scoring Peter making defenders jump. He would hold opponents' attention as if they are under hypnosis and I loved that. I still cherish those years and wish if the hand of time could be turned back."
He said Highlanders has a chance to lift the PSL championship this year but Dynamos remains a threat especially after beating Bosso back to back.
He bemoaned lack of precision by the current Bosso players in front of goal describing it as the great betrayal which may prove costly in the team's quest to lift the league title. He was, however, quick to say he finds solace in that Bosso is the team with a player who has scored more goals than any other in the PSL.
Bosso's tricky midfielder Charles Sibanda has been on target more than any other player this year with 12 goals to date. With his form, notwithstanding injuries, he is likely to win a golden boot award at the end of the season given that others are firing blanks.
The labour officer said while he is not happy with coach Kevin Kaindu's performance he should be allowed to finish the season and if he fails to land the championship, he should be shown the exit door.
"Kaindu has not been performing to my expectation but firing him at this juncture will not be a wise decision. He is inflicting pain on us by losing to Dynamos. Since he arrived at Highlanders, he has failed to beat Dynamos, and we are not taking that lightly. He has failed to lift the championship for three consecutive years and is on the verge of surrendering it to the same team this year, for the fourth time in a row," he said.
"That is not acceptable and if the same thing happens again this season, it will not be worthwhile to let him continue."
On crowd trouble that normally characterises matches involving Dynamos and Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium, Machekeche said:
"While I do not condone violence at soccer matches, the violence you see happening after we lose to DeMbare is an expression of emotions. But by the same token, I don't urge fans to use violence, we just have to learn to stomach the pain even though we know that finishing a season without testing victory against DeMbare is a bitter pill to swallow," he said.
Machekeche is married to Shamiso and the couple is blessed with a four-year-old son, Motive.
Source - Sunday News
