Former Mighty Warriors and Black Rhinos Queens star striker Rufaro “Mafidi’’ Machingura openly admitted to using drugs and was itching for a football comeback.
Sadly, her comeback will no longer be possible after the local women’s football legend passed away at her home in the Retreat area of Waterfalls in Harare yesterday.
She had been complaining of side pains, which had been attributed to her prolonged use of harmful drugs and substances.
She had also recently given birth to a baby boy.
Machingura was the hero when the Mighty Warriors conquered the region and won their first ever COSAFA Championship at Rufaro Stadium in 2011.
But in her last days, the gangly striker had become a pale shadow of that big forward who used to terrorise defenders and was part of the Mighty Warriors squad that went to Germany for a training camp in which they played some matches against lower Bundesliga sides after they won the COSAFA title.
Machingura scored the historic goal that sank Banyana Banyana as Zimbabwe broke the jinx and beat South Africa for the first time in a COSAFA match.
Earlier on, Machingura had scored five goals in a single match against Malawi to power the Mighty Warriors to a deserved semi-final place. That historic game was also briefly watched by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and secretary-general Jerome Valcke, who were visiting Zimbabwe at that time.
Blatter unveiled the “Win in Africa with Africa’’ artificial turf plaque at Rufaro during the half-time of the Mighty Warriors and Malawi match. He also had a photo-shoot with the players. Machingura went on to have a magical show, scoring five goals in Zimbabwe’s 8-1 routing of Malawi.
The Mighty Warriors were honoured by the late President Robert Mugabe at a special banquet at State House after the tournament. The former Head of State gave each player and team official US$5 000.
The late President made the famous remark: “Takava neRufaro, muRufaro, naRufaro,” as he singled out the playing prowess of Machingura in that COSAFA tournament.
Her death mirrors the plight of local male and female footballers who are succumbing to drug and substance abuse.
In an interview with The Herald last year at her house in Waterfalls, Machingura said she had wanted to live a clean life again and resume playing since football was her life.
“Football is my life. I made mistakes in life that derailed my career,” she said then.
“But l believe l still have what it takes. l still have the skill and l can work on my fitness. I need help to get a club. I admit l was into drugs but l have since reformed. I encourage other footballers to learn from my experience and shun drugs. I am now training with the boys’ boozers club and l believe if l get another chance l will be a star again.”
But the major pitfall of drugs and substance abuse is their addictive nature. Once one starts, it is not easy to stop. Rehabilitation is always the way out for those willing to reform. But the road is never easy.
In Machingura’s case, one could clearly see that the horse had bolted and it was going to be difficult for the talented striker to redeem herself.
The hour-long interview with The Herald was characterised by numerous interruptions by male and female friends frequenting the place for a “joint” and only to shy away when they saw the media team.
The 30-year-old Machingura started her career on a good note and even managed to make a small investment, acquiring a residential stand in the Retreat area of Waterfalls where she built a small cottage.
Machingura’s mother advised her last born daughter, who had wanted to buy a car with her proceeds from football, to acquire a residential stand. Machingura did all the logistics and secured the piece of land in the Retreat area of Waterfalls where she was neighbours with former Mighty Warriors and Blue Swallows defender Sheila Makoto and ex-Aces Youth Soccer Academy midfielder Elizabeth Chaparangana. The death of Machingura’s mother in 2019 left her exposed to the harmful influences. Machingura reportedly did not heed the warnings from her brother and sister Rebecca, who is married to former footballer Jimmy Mukangairwa.
Machingura grew up in Sanyanga Street in National, Mbare. She began playing football at Chitsere Primary School in the same high-density suburb when women’s football was being introduced in the schools’ sporting activities.
She joined AYSA together with Makoto, Chaparangana. Back then, the academy was training its women’s football players at Chirodzo Primary School in Mbare.
Machingura played for the academy for 10 years and then joined Black Rhinos Queens as she sought a possibility to join the army full-time.
But that dream could not be fulfilled as Machingura had disciplinary issues. She was never attested into the army and was finally released by the army. She got a cash-out for having spent close to 10 years with Black Rhinos Queens.
In the interview with The Herald, she conceded that despite the army’s strict disciplinary measures, she got ‘’stubborn’’.
“I fell into the trap and my friends and my ‘hood (Mbare) contributed too. Whenever l would come back home from my club, l would join in the ‘fun’ and engage in drugs with my friends. I felt it was the in-thing and failed to understand that l was a professional footballer and my friends were not.
“We would get punished by the army but l ended up being stubborn and would go home, get high, come back to the club and get punished (again). It became a daily routine,” she said.
Machingura believed she attracted the spotlight at a tender age and failed to manage it.
“I have lost so many opportunities in life. If you get high, once you sober up, you clearly reflect on your life and even regret it. My family has been supportive and whenever l visited my sister at her house, my brother-in-law (babamukuru) would switch to football channels on television and remind me that l could be that player playing and that l should leave drugs and revive my career,” said Machingura.
The revival moment never came.
The football family yesterday expressed sadness at her untimely death.
Mourners are gathered at house number 4617 Retreat Park in Waterfalls. – The Herald
