Shonhayi funeral set for Rufaro Stadium

By Lance Guma
05 April 2006

Former Zimbabwe national team captain Francis Shonhayi who died in South Africa last week will have a memorial service in his honour at Rufaro Stadium. Shonhayi will then be buried at his rural home in Chirumanzi on Friday soon after the service. The body is expected in Harare on Thursday from South Africa. Wellington Nyatanga the new Zimbabwe Football Association Chairman told Newsreel they wanted to give Shonhayi a fitting send off because of his commitment to Zimbabwean football.

There had been concerns over the cost of transporting Shonhayi’s body from South Africa. Ddefender Zvenyika Makonese, who was looking after Shonhayi, had said he could not raise the 14 000 rands required. Several well-wishers came together to raise the money including another former national team captain Peter Ndlovu, and former Dynamos striker Ian Gorowa. They rallied fellow professionals to donate money via a trust fund.

Nyatanga admitted, it's not often that a player gets a memorial service in a football stadium, . The only other player he remembers getting this honour is Benjamin Nkonjera who had a memorial service at Babourfields Stadium in Bulawayo. Nyatanga recounted fond memories of Shonhayi saying he lived with Shonhayi in Gweru at the time he was playing for Bata Football Club in that city. ‘He was a very talented and committed footballer,’ Nyatanga said.The football association has meanwhile opened a condolence book at Zifa House for those wishing to sign it. Turning to the welfare of players in light of Shonhayi’s situation, Nyatanga said a union for players already exists. The problem, he says, is that it has not been fully functional and what was needed was for it to start operating.