Zifa Northern Region chairman Martin Kweza says the tragic death of former Dynamos midfielder Barnabas Mushunje’s tragic death has left Zimbabwean football poorer as condolence messages continue to pour in for the Simba Bhora star, who passed away on Tuesday.
The Zimbabwe football fraternity has reacted with shock following the tragic demise of Mushunje at the young age of 24.
Mushunje died on admission to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare on Tuesday night from injuries sustained in a car accident along the Harare-Shamva road.
He was a passenger in a car which rammed into a tractor.
The nimble-footed attacking midfielder, who joined Simba Bhora from Dynamos at the beginning of this year, had missed the club’s team bus from Harare to Shamva earlier in the day as he arrived in the capital late from attending the funeral of a relative in Mutare.
Kweza led the tributes to Mushunge, who was enjoying a remarkable debut campaign at Simba Bhora following his move from Dynamos.
“The Northern Region Soccer League executive has learnt with deep shock about the tragic passing of Simba Bhora midfielder Barnabas Mushunge in a car accident along Harare-Shamva road on Tuesday late afternoon,” Kweza said in a statement.
“Mushunje’s death not only robbed Simba Bhora of one of their star players as his tragic passing on has left the league and in particular the Zimbabwean game in general poorer.”
“He had up to the time of his death been one of the standout players in the first half of the 2021-2022 season. He won two Man of the Match awards during the Axis Solutions Super 8 Cup and with as many goals and assists both in the league matches and the Axis Solutions Super 8 Cup. This attests to his dream season Barnabas was having,” Kweza.
It is with great sadness & heavy hearts that we have learnt of the death of Simba Bhora Fc midfielder,Barnabas Mushunje .
He died from injuries sustained in a car accident along Harare -Shamva road
Our thoughts and condolences of everyone @FUZ_ZIM are with his family and friends pic.twitter.com/5penDTN9iC— FootballersUnionZim (@FUZ_ZIM) June 8, 2022
The former former Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos midfielder was now plying his trade at the ambitious Zifa Northern Region Division One side Simba Bhora, where he was a driving force in their strong push for promotion into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Meanwhile, the late Mushunje’s body will be taken to his rural home in Bocha rural district in Mutare for burial on Thursday.
Mushunje is survived by his wife and two children.
Our condolences to the Mushunje family, Simba Bhora, and the whole football fraternity for the loss of Mushunje Barnabas. Mushenje passed on from injuries sustained from a road accident.#RIPBarnabas pic.twitter.com/oAvijGDIYg
— Manica Diamonds Fc (@Gem_boys_fc) June 8, 2022