BY MAGRETH RUZVIDZO The late Triangle United FC goalkeeper Ronald Mudimu has been described as a man of the people, who always put the needs of his teammates ahead of his own.
The goalkeeper, who died on Sunday night after a long illness, was laid to rest at Zororo Memorial Park in Harare today, with family members, teammates and supporters purring about his works.
He was 33.
Besides being the club’s vice-captain, he was also his team’s representative at the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe, a union that provides, facilitates and safeguards the welfare and working conditions of current and former football players.
Captain Collins Dhuwa, who credited the goalkeeper for the team’s recent success, led the eulogies.
“Words can’t fully explain how we are feeling as a team, but we are deeply saddened by this development. We worked with Mudimu for more than five years, so it gives you the kind of relationship that we had developed. To us he was more than a friend, we were a family. When we encountered problems, he was the first to show up and he was a good leader both on and off pitch. We are still in denial up to now,” said Dhuwa.
Triangle won the Chibuku Super Cup trophy in 2018, in a game that Mudimu played a blinder to deny Harare City who were the defending champions. That 2-0 victory saw the Lowveld side participate in the Caf Confederations Cup, their first ever dance in the African Safari.
“Mudimu was an honest, loving person, a straight talker and also a prayer warrior. He would sometimes wake up players at midnight to pray. He was a strong person, even when he was sick he would send voice notes asking about our welfare and assuring us that he would soon come back to join the team. It’s very unfortunate that as a team we didn’t manage to see him when he was hospitalised because of circumstances beyond us,” he said.
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He vowed that the club will work extra hard to win the league title this season in honour of the “fallen hero.”
“We won some titles with Mudimu and we must try to do it again this season as a way of uplifting his spirit. He deserved it.”
Reports yesterday said the players had to mobilise their own resources to travel from Triangle to Chitungwiza to pay their last respects to their late teammate.
This was after the club’s leadership had allegedly released only four players to attend the funeral. At least 20 players eventually attended.
Triangle coach Taurai Mangwiro said the death of his vice-captain had left a big void at the club which would be difficult to fill.
“It’s a very sad loss, not just for Triangle United FC but for the football family at large,” Mangwiro said.
“Mudimu was the team’s vice-captain and one of the team’s longest serving members. He was the club representative at the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe so he was an integral member of the team in terms of what he did on the pitch and for the welfare of his teammates. It’s so sad that he had to succumb to an illness and we are gathered here today to give him a befitting send off.”
He added, “As a club we are at a loss of words to describe how painful it is to lose one of us, one who was always there for us when we needed him the most. He was an exemplary guy and always focused. On and off the field, you could see that he had special plans and already he was working towards occupying himself with something after retiring. That’s the kind of vision that he had and for a 33-year-old, you don’t get many with that kind of focus. Condolences to the Mudimu family and friends and may his dear soul rest in peace.”
Mangwiro revealed that the star died before he underwent a procedure to remove a tumour in his head.
Mudimu is survived by wife Irene and four children.
- Follow Magreth on Twitter @MagrethRuzvidzo
