Best of the Best – Stewart Murisa

Best team played for

I played my best football at Caps United, where I emerged the 1996 PSL Player of the Year and also won the league and numerous Cup titles with them. I also enjoyed my stay in Bulawayo with Highlanders, whose fans were unbelievable.

Best teammate

The Zambian Derby Mankinka, whom I played with at Darryn T, stands out. Derby was a complete player, a true professional and a marvel to watch both in a match and at training. Unfortunately, the plane crash that wiped the Zambian squad out in 1993 cut his career short. There is also Alois Bunjira, who was more of a brother than a teammate. Dynamos’ Angirayi Chapo was my most difficult opponent

Best goal

I scored numerous beauties, but there was one against Dynamos in the BP Cup semi-final in 1996, while I played for Caps. With seven minutes remaining, I volleyed in a rebound to beat George

Mandizvidza and make it 2-1 in our favour. That match was later abandoned after Dynamos protested Kaitano Tembo’s red card. Another goal worth mentioning is one I scored against Kaizer Chiefs while at Wits in 2003/04. It was a curler. Ironically, my best goals came through my weaker left foot!

Best coach

At club level, it is Darryn T’s Wieslaw Grabowski, who helped me to become the player I was, and Clive Barker at Amazulu in South Africa. Of all the coaches, it is Barker that always got the best out of me. The late Reinhard Fabisch was also instrumental in my national career.

Best season

I played my best football back in 1996 when I was named the best player. That year, Caps United won almost everything on offer, including the BP Cup and League title. The only trophy that eluded them was the Castle Cup, in which we narrowly lost to Dynamos in the semi-finals.

Best Zimbabwean player

I would need to toss a coin between Peter Ndlovu and Moses Chunga; it is almost impossible to judge who was better. But if I were to draw comparisons, I would say Chunga was the yesteryear version of Lionel Messi and Peter Ronaldo. Chunga the Maradona and Peter the Pele!

Best fans and venue

The fans at Highlanders made the atmosphere at Barboufields amazing. They were always behind the team and would celebrate even a 1-0 victory as if we had won a cup final. It was unlike other teams where such a victory was not welcome by fans.

World’s best player

Messi is simply the best. I also admire and rate Real Madrid defender-cum-midfielder, Sergio Ramos. Nonetheless, I think Gift Muzadzi was the world’s best player of his generation!

Best Zimbabwe XI

Muzadzi- Mercedes Sibanda; Paul Gundani; John Phiri; Francis Shonhai; Benjamin Nkonjera; Chunga; Joel Shambo; Stanford Mutizwa; Peter Ndlovu and myself. The bench will consist of Norman Mapeza, the Mugeyi twins, Edelbert Dinha, Vitalis Takawira, Claudius Zviripayi, Bunjira, Ian Gorowa and Japhet M’parutsa.

Best advice

At Wits, coach Roger de Sa once told us there was no friendship in football, the only friend you can get is when you buy a dog. He was wary of ‘friends’ destroying players’ careers.