By Simba Jemwa
This sentimental survey of the life of the late Dynamos and Zimbabwe football legend treads along several previously unknown paths adding a new face to the life and times of George ‘Mastermind’ Shaya.
Oft described as the best thing to have ever happened to Zimbabwean football and indeed Zimbabwe in general, the Shaya biopic premiered at the Ster Kinekor Cinema in Bulawayo this Thursday and was well received by the scores who graced the occasion.
Produced by United States-based Albert Chiwandamira, the documentary retraced Shaya’s journey to football immortality beginning on the dusty streets of Mbare through to St Francis Musami where went for his schooling to Dynamos via Mashonaland United (Zimbabwe Saints).
Legends both local and from beyond, footballers who either played alongside him or against him, from both sides of the Limpopo River spoke about the class that was Shaya.
Prominent Rhodesia era players like Salisbury Callies’ Graham “Budgie” Shearer, Bruce Grobbelaar, Graham Boyle, Saints’ Philemon ‘Fincho’ Dangarembwa, Ebson ‘Sugar’ Muguyo, John ‘Gwejegweje’ Nyumbu, Bosso’s Douglas ‘British’ Mloyi, Lawrence Phiri and Ndumiso Gumede all shared their memories of this gentle man of Zimbabwean football.
They spoke of his intuitive brilliance, his trickery, his football intellect, hit wit and all agreed that whether during their time or after, Shaya was and still is the best there ever was: the G.O.A.T of local football! That he died financially insecure is neither here nor there: it was the times!
Is there anything more to be said on the subject Dynamos’ legend George Shaya? Certainly there will be! But this sentimental hagio-documentary, which reveals previously unknown details of his time at Moroka Swallows in South Africa gives a lot of perspective about this larger than life footballer who passed on early this year.
There are several nice contributions from the interviewees, but Jomo Sono or Kaizer Motaung are not in the film: they surely would have had a lot to say abut their one time nemesis.
Anything about Shaya has to answer the hotel bellboy’s apocryphal question: “Was there any better? Will there any better?” – and it is a measure of this film’s piety that this anecdote is primly mentioned and addressed by all interviewees.
After all has been said and done, Chiwandamira and his team overcame the lack of adequate footage to put together a good production that will surely become known as Zimbabwe’s first ever sports documentary of note.
