Zimbabwe’s place on football’s world stage is often underrated, yet the nation has provided the sport with some of the most talented players of the past few decades. In fact, there are enough superstars to create serious debate for football predictions over who fans feel are the best Zimbabwean players of all time. Where do you even start to decide who takes the crown?
Rather than make the decision for you, here are four Zimbabwean football icons who aren’t just legends at home, but overseas, too.
Bruce Grobbelaar
Born in Durban but raised in Zimbabwe, Grobbelaar is one of the most-lauded goalkeepers in English football league history. His most famous career turn was arguably at Liverpool FC, where he joined in 1981 for 13 seasons, making an impressive 440 appearances in the league.
Grobbelaar never took his time on the pitch too seriously, but was undoubtedly a safe pair of hands for club and country across an impressive career spanning decades. Hailed as a legend both on home soil and at Liverpool, Grobbelaar is still considered one of the most impressive keepers of his era.
Peter Ndlovu
Many fans and pundits, home and away, view Ndlovu (‘The Flying Elephant’) as Zimbabwe’s greatest goalscorer of all time. In fact, he still holds the record for the most goals scored for the national team at an impressive 37.
The star got his first cap for Zimbabwe at the age of 17, and his last at 34, claiming 81 across his whole career. When Ndlovu was on the pitch, Zimbabwe won more often than they lost. It’s estimated that over 60% of the caps he gained for his country resulted in match wins.
Ask home fans the question “who is the best Zimbabwean footballer of all time?” and you’re likely to see Ndlovu’s name mentioned first.
Marvelous Nakamba
Nakamba is an unsung hero in midfield. He is a reliable force in breaking up the opposition and focuses more on defensive play rather than pushing forward. Nakamba fetched as much as £11 million GBP when he moved to Aston Villa in 2019, where he made 38 league appearances.
Still technically playing at the time of writing, Nakamba’s career has taken him from Nancy to Vitesse Arnhem, then Club Brugge, Villa, Luton and Sheffield Wednesday. He’s a great example of a talented Zimbabwean player who’s taken his defensive skills across Europe.
Benjani Mwaruwari
Seen as something of a cult hero who has certainly made his home nation proud, Benjani was a reliable goalscorer across much of his career and a tireless presence that, for opposing defenders, was often fairly imposing.
Matches he took part in across his club career totalled more than 19,000 minutes, having played in the English Premier League, Ligue 1, and in competitions such as the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Coupe de France. Of these, he was most prolific in the Premier League, notably as a reliable striker for Manchester City.