Staff ReporterRahman Gumbo, a renowned figure in Zimbabwean football, passed away at 56, leaving the local football community in mourning. Gumbo, celebrated for his remarkable coaching career that spanned over two decades, was a key figure in Zimbabwe’s “Dream Team,” one of the nation’s most successful Warriors squads. He tragically collapsed at his home in Palapye, Botswana, and later succumbed at a hospital in Francistown.
Gumbo’s coaching achievements were extraordinary, marked by numerous victories and titles with various clubs in Zimbabwe and across the region. His most recent position was with the Botswana Premier League team Morupule Wanderers, from which he parted ways last week.
His notable local engagements included managing teams like Highlanders, CAPS United, FC Platinum, Chicken Inn, and TelOne, along with clubs in South Africa and Malawi. Gumbo was particularly prominent in Botswana’s football scene, coaching top teams like Township Rollers, Gaborone United, and Mochudi Centre Chiefs. His success peaked when he led Township Rollers to win the Botswana league title in 2010.
Gumbo’s tenure with Zimbabwe’s national team, the Warriors, was marked by three separate stints, beginning in 2005 and concluding in June 2019. Despite his dismissal following a loss to Nigeria in 2005, his contributions to Zimbabwean football remain significant, having secured league titles in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Malawi. His passing marks a significant loss to the football world in Zimbabwe and beyond.
