Chafa, Bello reunite in legendary feat

DEVON Chafa and Gift Bello have rarely spent their lives apart.

They both hail from Mbare where they grew up playing street football together.

Bello, who is seven years Chafa’s senior, stayed in the Marowa area of Mbare while Chafa was raised in Matapi Flats.

But football united the two and when Bello joined Golden Kopje around 2007 in the First Division, Chafa was one of the happiest boys in the hood.

The two would then catch the eye of coach Lloyd Mutasa while playing social football and the former Dynamos midfielder signed them at Kiglon.

They were so good along with the likes of Denver Mukamba, Thomas Magorimbo, Atlast Musasa, Edmore Chitato and Isaac Pitamuja, among others.

With Mutasa moving to Dynamos in 2011, the two also signed for the Glamour Boys and went on to win three league titles together.

Chafa would win his fourth title in 2014 after Bello joined his current team, FC Platinum.

The 31-year-old then won another title with CAPS United in 2016 before rejoining his old mate Bello at FC Platinum where the two won the league title in 2018 and 2019.

The 2019 title marked Chafa’s milestone as he became the first player in the history of the modern Premier Soccer League to win the title seven times.

Chafa has been a key figure at CAPS United this year helping the Green Machine survive relegation in a season they faced so many challenges including financial.

He might be a dark horse in the Soccer Stars of the Year race whose selection is on tomorrow.

While Chafa’s Makepekepe struggled to find their footing in the recently-ended season, his old-time mate, Bello, was winning his seventh league title with the miners.

The two stars, who cut their teeth at Kiglon, have now been reunited in this legendary achievement.

No other player, in the history of the game in this country, has won the league title seven times with at least two clubs.

“It feels great for me to have achieved this feat. I should say I am humbled to have achieved this record-equalling success.

“Look, I am 38-years-old right now and some people think I am too old but I still feel strong.

“Winning the league title for the seventh time is a good record and looking at where I came from, I think it’s a great, great thing,” said Bello.

“I know Devon Chafa is the only other player to have done this and for that player to be Chafa, looking at our relationship from our days in Mbare when we were kids, then I should say, God is great.

“Chafa is younger than me but we were very close growing up as we played football together in the streets of Mbare and we remain very close. We have played football together at three different teams. That has cemented our relationship and I think to also share this record is the stuff dreams are made of.”

Chafa, who believes he can win another league title before he retires, congratulated Bello for winning his seventh league title.

Bello, has now won all the trophies competed for in the local circles, including the Chibuku Super Cup.

“We (him and Bello) are very close in many ways and us playing together at Dynamos, Kiglon and FC Platinum helped cement the relationship although he is my senior,” said Chafa.

“We could go and watch the big boys play in Mbare while asking them for items. I am from Matapi and he is also from the neighbourhood.

“We were all called by coach Lloyd Mutasa and coach Callisto Pasuwa to join Kiglon back in the day.

“I am happy for him. Winning seven league titles is no mean feat and we are very happy to share the same success story looking at where our relationship started.”

Chafa has a hilarious story to share about Bello in which the defender was given a torrid time by Esperance striker Youssef Haskin in the 2013 CAF Champions League when they were playing for Dynamos.

“Bello is the only person who can call my wife by name.

“I remember this other game against Esperance of Tunisia away when he was playing right back. He was being given a torrid time by Youssef Haskin and I said ‘mudhara makai munhu’ and he said this one is too slippery as you can see even in the midfield you are all failing to stop him.”

Both players could find themselves on the Soccer Star of the Year calendar, with Bello a hot favourite to make the best three.