Umdlali wenguqu owaba lodumo kusukela ngesikhathi eleZimbabwe lingakatholi uzibuse, uGeorge Shaya kasekho. UGeorge obhubhe eseleminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa, 77, wathola izicoco zokudlala kuhle umnyaka wonke, eze Soccer Star of Year, kahlanu empilweni yakhe.
UShaya utshone NgoLwesibili ekuseni njalo iqembu ayelidlalela ele Dynamos selilobele inhlanganiso ebona ngokuqhutshwa komdlalo wenguqu elizweni eye Zimbabwe Football Association licela ukuba kucelwe kuhulumende ukuba umuyi aphiwe inhlonipho eyokuba liqhawe lesizwe.
Owayengumhleli wezindaba zemidlalo kuphephandaba le Chronicle uLovemore Dube uthi kufanele ukuba uShaya aphiwe inhlonipho yokuba liqhawe lesizwe ngoba eliqhawe langempela.
“Namhlanje isizwe seZimbabwe silahlekelwe ngumdlali obengumdlali wohlonzi, obengumakade ebona emdlalweni wenguqu. Umdlali engingathi ngesilungu deserves national hero status. Akula esingambabaza edlule uPeter Ndlovu lo George Shaya. Ngilethemba lokuba uhulumende le Zifa bazakukhangelisisa lokhu bamhloniphe uGeorge Shaya,” kutsho uDube.
Ngesikhathi esadlala uShaya uthethe isicoco esokuba ngumdlali odlale okwedlula abanye, iSoccer Star of the Year, kahlanu njalo akula omunye umdlali oseke wakwenelisa lokho.
UDube ngomunye walabo abaphatheke kuhlelo lokucindezela umfanekiso olonda impilo ka Shaya, idocumentary, njalo uthi lumdlali waba lomnyama owokudlala ngesikhathi ilizwe lingakatholi uzibuse.
“UGeorge Shaya nxa ngikhuluma ngaye, ngikhuluma ngobuqotho bami, ngibuhlungu ukuthi udlale ngesikhathi kusaselobandlululo kulelilizwe. Ubengumdlali owokuthi ngabe wayedlale sesithole uzibuse ubezakuyadlala emazweni aphakamise ilizwe lakhe.
Mina labangane bami abagoqela uAlbert Chiwandamira sithe ngomnyaka odlulileyo saqala ukucindezela ifilimu ebikhangele impilo yakhe kusukela esadlala kuze kufike namhlanje lapho esithethe izithombe zabantu bekhuluma ngentshantshu akade eyiyo enkundleni,” kutsho uDube.
UShaya udlalele amaqembu abalisa ele Dynamos, ele St Paul’s Musami, ele Zimbabwe Saints, ele Moroka Swallows elase South Africa kanye leqembu elalimela ilizwe le Rhodesia.
Ukhethwe ukuba ngumdlali odlale okwedlula abanye kwele Zimbabwe ngo 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976 kanye lango 1977.