Fungai Muderere
THE body of the late football legend, Rahman Gumbo is expected on Wednesday or Thursday as work on repatriation starts today.
According to the family of the late Warriors coach and Highlanders’ hero, paper work to repatriate his body will begin today in Botswana’s Francistown.
The late Gumbo, a former Dream Team star, passed on at the age of 59 late Friday night at Francistown Academic Hospital where he was admitted after falling sick at his Palapye home.
Family representative Zeblon Mhlanga, who is also the late Gumbo’s uncle said:
“It seems things are moving in the right direction. Official efforts to repatriate Rahman’s body will start tomorrow (today) in Francistown. Those in Botswana will handle all the paperwork.
“We are very much grateful for the support we have been getting, and our relatives who are from places such as Tsholotsho, Nyamandlovu and other areas have started arriving.”
The late Gumbo’s demise came as a shock.
He was a key member of Bosso and the Warriors alongside Willard Mashinkila Khumalo, Madinda Ndlovu, Alexander Maseko, Abraham Madondo, Mercedes “Rambo” Sibanda, Benjamin Nkonjera and Adam “Adamski” Ndlovu.
The ex-Warriors midfielder’s death also came a few days after he had separated with Botswana Premier Soccer League outfit Morupule Wanderers.
Gumbo enjoyed successful coaching stints in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Malawi where he won league titles to become a distinct football coaching boss compared to many of his peers.
However, it was in Botswana where Rush had become a very respected personality after several spells of coaching some top Batswana clubs like Gaborone United, Township Rollers and Mochudi Centre Chiefs, among others.
Besides coaching Highlanders at home, the late Gumbo also had coaching jobs at CAPS United, FC Platinum, Bulawayo Chiefs, Technosphere, Bulawayo Wanderers, the now defunct Motor Action and Chicken Inn.
His last local elite football league contract was with former Premiership club TelOne four years ago.
Since Saturday morning the country has been in grief with the local football community mourning one of the country’s noticeable people in the world’s beautiful game.
The late Gumbo started his football career with the now defunct Eagles in the 1980s before moving to Highlanders where he became a hit.
He made his name as an attacking midfielder, though he started off as a striker.
Gumbo broke into the national team and he was a key figure of the celebrated Dream Team.
He also had stints in Cyprus and Denmark as a player.
His playing days were put to an end by a knee injury in 1993 at the age of 30.
The late Gumbo, who comes from a family of 11 siblings, is survived by wife Virginia Gumbo, four children, Bukhosi, Mkhuseli, Mandisa and Thabo.
Mourners are gathered at 13 Lendy Road, North End in Bulawayo.