Who is Zimbabwe’s best right back ever?

Описание: Yesteryear Greats with Lovemore Dube
WHO is Zimbabwe’s best rightback ever?

MERCEDES Sibanda who died in Bulawayo in 2002 will go down in history as having been one of Highlanders and Zimbabwe’s best rightbacks ever.
To many he was the ultimate rightback and footballer.
Goalkeepers feared his stinging shots, while strikers met their match and on the other half defenders knew trouble was on the way when he ventured into attack with Titus Majola and Madinda Ndlovu on the rightwing.
It is no surprise that he became the second rightback to be crowned Soccer Star of the Year. He had to fit into the shoes of another great player, the legendary Ziscosteel rightback James Takavada in early 1980s.
Both players were at some stafge regarded as one of the best rightbacks in the continent because of their defensive qualities, timely overlaps and superb crosses into the danger area.
Sibanda, nicknamed Rambo after his movie hero Slyvester Stallone and because of his well-built calves and biceps, went one up over Takavada, his charisma and hardshots endeared him with home fans and other clubs’.
Sibanda who died at the age of 37, had a colourful career for both club and country and even was sought after beyond the country’s borders and came close to playing for Mamelodi Sundowns in 1991 and could have been part of a cast that had Harris Choeu, Sam Khambule, Chippa Masinga, Bennet Masinga, Joas Magolego, Ernest Chirwali, Chancy Gondwe, Daniel Mudau, Nelson Bandura, Alexander Maseko and Mark Anderson under the late Stanley ‘Screammer’ Tshabalala.
A failed medical stopped him from a ‘dream move’ and that meant staying at Highlanders where at the twilight of his career, he left for Blackpool.
He was your typical Mzilikazi boy, streetwise on and off the streets.
It all began at the boys’ club in Mzilikazi where he played with his section boys informally and with the aid of a youth leader at Mzilikazi.
He attended the local primary school and his secondary school days have never been spoken of.
Perhaps it is no surprise that his best friends from childhood include legendary Willard Khumalo and Sydney Zimunya. With the duo they won many junior titles and the trio because an integral component of the the Zimbabwe Under-20 team in the mid-1980s with Rambo moved to rightback by Peter Nyama going on to establish himself as ‘the rightback’ in all age group national teams and Highlanders