Moses “Razorman” Chunga -“The Mayor of Brussels”

Moses Chunga

By Lovemore Dube   6/10/2022

MOSES Chunga emerged  at the right time to fill a void left by dribbling wizards July Sharara and George Shaya.

Shaya’s dance with the club had begun in the early 1960s with brief spells with St Paul’s Musami and Mashonaland United.

So for almost two decades coupled with the arrival of July Sharara, Stephen Kwashi and Daniel Dhididi Ncube, Dynamos play was built on robust defensive play,  enterprising wing and midfield play and scorers thriving on clean supply of balls from an effective second third if field play.

So Chunga came at a time when there was a void with Edward Katsvere just about the only wing star.

Like Zimbabwe Saints and Highlanders FC, at the peak of their successes there have been great midfielders and wingers propelling the club’s.

Born 17 October 1965, Chunga arrived at Dynamos in 1983, the very year he was called up to the Zimbabwe National Under 20 side alongside the likes of Boy Ndlovu, Godfrey Paradza and Madinda Ndlovu.

His arrival on the right wing and Katsvere left, gave Dynamos a new attack combination led by the two with Gift Mpariwa and Kembo Chunga, Moses’ elder brother the gunslingers for the Seven Million People and they would later on be joined by Charles Chirwa from Rio Tinto as the club dominated the league races in the decade 1980-1989 with eight of the 10 league championships.

Moses showed glimpses of a great player in his first season and by 1984, he now rated among the best wingers in the land getting his first call up to the senior national team with the likes of Willard Khumalo, Ernest Mutano and Joseph Machingura and by 1985 he was a regular and was part of the team that lost 1-0 to Egypt in a World Cup qualifier in Cairo and drew 1-1 at Rufaro Stadium after he needlessly lost possession and the Arabs scored through a stunning long range shot by Mahmoud El Kahtib now Aly Ahly FC President.

He was third on the top goalscorers’ list with 19 goals in 1985.

But his crowning year was 1986, a return of 46 goals of which 20 were cup goals saw him seal his place among Zimbabwe’s greatest.

No striker after Ernest Kamba, Peter Nyama, Wonder Chisetera and Oliver Kateya’s over 69 goal tallies in a season had someone achieved that feat of over 49 goals since 1975.

The boy at only 21, was scoring for fun, cutting through defences, with sublime skills and setting up other forwards like Chirwa, Kembo and Max Makanza to score for Dynamos.

He did not have it easy on getting to the podium in 1986 with the Footballer of the Season award and top marksman to his credit.

There were great individual and team performances by other stars Misheck Marimo, Stanley Ndunduma, Stix Mtizwa, Joel Shambo, Ephraim Chawanda, Boy Ndlovu, Mercedes Sibanda and Willard Khumalo.

But the judges were unanimous that the boy who had arrived from Lytton Rovers in 1983 was the best in the land.

That earned him a trial at Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough.

He could not make it in the British First Division and a few months later after a blistering performance by Stix M’tizwa in Italy in the World Military Games some Belgian officials followed up to sign the Rhinos genius.

It was while they were in Zimbabwe that they were told of Moses Chunga and he was signed by Eendracht Aalst.

He would stay with the Belgian lower division side up to 1992 when injury forced him to return home and ultimately retire in 1993 after failing to impress after his recovery while on his second term with Dynamos.

He retired with two  league titles on his neck all won with Dynamos during his first term.

He made so much impact in Belgium that in 2012 he was awarded civic honours in Eendracht and honoured by his club there.

Chunga has coached several clubs in Zimbabwe, Hackney, Dynamos, Shabanie Mine, Gunners, Buffaloes, Shooting Stars, Harare City, Caps United and Chapungu United more recently.

His best as coach was winning the Zimbabwe league title with Gunners in 2009.

In 2002 while at Dynamos he became popular after giving a number of teenagers first team football, but with so much promise, Samson Choruwa, Eddie Mashiri and company in his absence never held on for long to follow in their here’s path.

Chunga remains one of the country’s most popular football personalities, earned through his on-field prowess.

Alongside Boy Ndlovu, Madinda, Machingura, Jimmy Mbewe, Machona Sibanda, Kakoma Sibanda, Agent Sawu, Peter Ndlovu, George Ayibu, Samson Phiri, Eric Aisam and Mike Abrahams, Moses was a a nightmare for wingbacks.