Joseph “Omo” Zulu
By Kamangeni Phiri
‘O Jogo Bonito’ a Portuguese phrase meaning ‘The Beautiful Game’ could have been coined for yesteryear Zimbabwean football star, Joseph Zulu.
The phrase – made popular by Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé in his autobiography – emphasizes the beauty, style and individual artistry in football and its power to unite people of different nationalities, ethnicity and creed.
Zulu was the prototypical winger-cum-attacking midfielder, a dribbling wizard and sharp shooter par excellence whose artistry inspired generations of skilful soccer players in independent Zimbabwe.
Nicknamed “Omo” for his unquestionable ability to sweep past opponents with ease, Zulu could unlock the steeliest of defenses through his speed and technical ability.
The moniker stuck on him in 1968 when as a 16-year old school kid in Rhodesia he helped turn around a 2-0 deficit into a draw for his new team, Feock, a first division side. It was Zulu’s debut match and Feock was playing against Castle Lion.
By halftime, Feock were 2-0 down. When the two teams returned for the second half, Zulu received a pass while on the left wing, faced three or four defenders, dribbled past all of them, and scored. It was 2-1.
Less than two minutes later, he received another pass and quickly swept past the entire defence and scored again leveling the score line; 2-2.
“One of our fans shouted, ‘Omo! Omo! Mupfanha arikugeza vanhu. Uyu iOmo chaiyo’ (The boy’s dribbling abilities are similar to the ease with which the washing powder Omo removes dirt from clothes). The game ended 2-2,” Zulu said in a recent interview with online TV Zim Soccernet host, Alouis Bunjira in his programme, In Touch With a Legend. He would score goals for fun throughout his career from the 60s up to 1990 when he hung up his boots.
At his peak Zulu featured for a single club, super league side Rio Tinto, which he served with distinction as he turned down offers from local giants Dynamos, Highlanders and Caps United respectively.
But when global giants Manchester United called, Zulu wanted to leave only for his employers to block him.
Manchester United scouts had spotted Zulu in 1979 when the Rhodesia national team was playing South Africa. He was invited for one month trials together with the South African duo of Gary Balley and Colin Viljoen.
“The air ticket had been sent to me by Manchester United agents but the club management blocked me. Two police officers, one belonging to the mine and the other from the state, were assigned to guard me 24/7. I boycotted work for one and half months in protest but they never budged. I still got my full salary. They only raised my salary with a slight margin. I believe if they had allowed me to go for trials my life could be better than this
“What hurts me the most is that Gary went on to become a Manchester United goal-keeper and that trial opened doors for Colin,” said Zulu who remains bitter about the issue to date.
Born on September 2, 1952 at Concession Hospital, Glendale, Zulu grew up in Mutorashanga where he started his football life in 1966 at Mutorashanga Primary School. However, primary school soccer was not that competitive those days. Zulu then moved to St Phillips, a boarding school in Guruve for his secondary education.
This is where he started playing serious soccer.
Joseph was born in a football family. His father worked for Ethel Mines and played for the mine’s team which was in the Chamber of Mines league. In 1966, Zulu joined Ethel Mines team while still a secondary school pupil and played alongside his father in the chamber of mines.
As a school kid, he was equally good in both soccer and athletics. When both sports were being held on the same day, teachers would fight for him.
“It would take the headmaster to settle the issue. He is the one who would decide where I should go and feature,” said Zulu.
Joseph was on the move after Ethel Mines closed in October 1966. His father moved to African Chrome Mines (ACM) where he secured employment.
In 1967 Zulu joined ACM mid-year in the second transfer window but when the season finished he was their top goal-scorer. ACM was a division three team.
The following season, in 1968, Zulu joined Feock, a division one side. He was recruited by one of his teachers, a Mr Mudzambi, who doubled up as Feock FC coach and team manager.
“Mr Mudzambi offered me accommodation and I was to continue attending school while playing soccer. Feock promised to pay my school fees and this influenced me to join them,” Zulu said.
Feock won promotion into the super league and the owners of the club decided against having two teams in the elite league. The division one side was a sister club of Rio Tinto.
In 1972 Zulu together with three other team mates, Amos Chiseko, Ignatius Mariot and Foster Mahwani were transferred from Feock to super league side, Rio Tinto which was coached by John Rugg.
Some of the top players that were playing for Rio Tinto include Ozzy Cazzio, Brian Pearce, Nigel, a goalkeeper who was widely known by his nickname Mabhurugwa and Jubel Phiri.
The team also had Kevin Sheridan and Jimmy Gilpin who were the twin centre strikers and great goal-scorers.
Zulu wasted no time in showcasing his talent of tormenting defenders with his dribbling skills.
In his super league debut match at Rimuka Stadium, Zulu scored a brace and assisted in another while playing against Arcadia United. Rio won the match 3-0 and on the following day, on a Monday, daily papers had screaming headlines; It’s Rio the Zulu Way.
“Rugg was happy and disappointed at the same time. He was worried that I was stealing the thunder from his white boys. The coach wanted us to create chances for Sheridan and Jimmy Gilpin to score.
In another match, I decided against passing the ball to Sheridan and Jimmy Gilpin because they had wasted many chances in our previous match. We were trailing 3-0 and I scored two goals. Jimmy Gilpin was not happy and he verbally abused me. His insult was an attack on my being black. I got so angry that I substituted myself. We lost that match 3-2. I wrote a resignation letter but the coach and personnel manager refused to accept it. Gilpin was asked to apologise and was subsequently suspended,” said Zulu.
When soccer legend Pele used the phrase ‘O Jogo Bonito’ in 1977 in his autobiography ‘My life and the beautiful game’, to describe the beautiful side of football he forgot to tell his fans about the sport’s ugly side – racism.
Before making his Rio Tinto debut, Zulu was made to play in the reserve side by senior players during training so that they would mark and possibly injure him but the man would dribble past all of them.
It was not long before a trio of Zulu’s white team mates started suspecting him of using juju. Brian Pearce, Ozzy Cazzio and Nigel Mabhurugwa approached him on a Friday after training and asked for his soccer boots and bandages.
“We were going to play Mhangura on a Sunday, a team that we had never beaten at their home ground. The three asked for my pair of boots and bandages that I used as shins to protect my legs. One of them said he would give my boots to his gardener to polish while another said his wife was going to wash and iron my bandages ahead of the game. I obliged. They suspected I had juju stashed in either my bandages or boots,” Zulu told Bunjira of Zim Soccernet.
On the match day they told Zulu they would only surrender his boots and bandages when they got to the match venue in Mhangura. They made him wear his soccer boots and bandages in their presence.
“Even when we were getting into the pitch, I had two players behind me and the other two in front just to make sure I did not get the chance to put the alleged juju. In the match I dribbled and scored the only goal. It was the first time Rio beat Mhangura in their backyard. After the match my tormentors, Ozzy, Nigel and Brian carried me all the way to the dressing room,” said Zulu.
Joseph Zulu played 18 seasons as part of the historic nucleus of talent at Rio Tinto that included Robert Godoka, Ephert Lungu, Richard Manda, Victor Mapanda, Laban Kandi, Raphael Phiri, Amos Chiseko, Wonder Phiri and Byron Manuel, winning the Chibuku Trophy twice and the BAT Trophy twice.
He also holds a unique record in domestic football of gracing the Soccer Star of the Year calendar 11 times.
Dynamos legend George Shaya holds the record of having won the award a record five times while Zulu was selected second runner up three times and first runner up three times.
Zulu believes he could have won the soccer star two or three times if he had been based in Harare.
“Harare players would bribe reporters, buying beer and lunch for them. I was the best in the game and I paid the price for being a Mine based player,” he claimed.
He attributed his 26 year career success to hard work and determination.
The 70-year-old former player still has scars on his shins from his battles in football. He also has three front teeth missing after he was kicked in the mouth by a defender while trying to head the ball when Zimbabwe played against Malawi in 1980.
Zulu started playing for the national team in Rhodesia in 1974 and retired from international soccer in 1983 to concentrate on his club career.
He earned many caps playing for Zimbabwe but says he has lost count of the exact number of times he donned the national team jersey.
Zulu stopped playing for Rio Tinto in 1990 and signed for Lulu Rovers in 1991 as a player-coach.
He helped the team survive relegation before retiring from active playing soccer in 1992.
Zulu is now with Kadoma Divison 1 side, Cam and Motor FC, where he is the vice chairman of the club.
He is married to Venenzia and the couple has one child, Vivian.
