By Tiyani Hahlani
Tenax FC is set to dedicate their upcoming match against Surrey FC to the late defender Justin Gadzani who died on Saturday, May 18 after a short illness.
Gadzani died at Victoria Chitepo Hospital after undergoing an appendix operation and was buried at Glenforest Cemetery in Harare.
The late Gadzani, who also played for Midlands State University FC and later joined Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services teams, starting with WhaWha where he made a name under Luke Petros survived by his wife and one child.
He commanded a first team position when WhaWha was merged with Tenax last season, forming a team that lost the promotion ticket albeit via a boardroom decision where Bikita Minerals were eventually promoted.
Speaking to TellZim News, team chairperson Stefani Masina expressed deep sorrow as Tenax family lost one of their foot soldiers on and off pitch who led the team towards promotion though the dream was not realized eventually.
“As Tenax FC we are saddened to have been robbed of our foot soldier, a rocky-steady individual who had a great passion in football, also a humble and respectable player on and off pitch. We are dedicating our next match against Surrey to him
“He was also part of the great team that was almost promoted to play in the Castle Lager Premier League before being robbed in the boardroom coup that made Bikita Minerals FC to be promoted in the league,” says Masina.
One of his teammates Carlos Muza described who Gadzani was to the team and the challenges they faced when he was not feeling well.
“The death of Gadzani came to us as we were not expecting it. He was a very passionate player who prioritized football first before anything else and he was the team’s penalty star.
“Gadzani was the same on and off the pitch as he was a happy man. We are saddened to lose such a player in our camp,” said Muza.
