FIVE-TIME soccer star of the year, George Shaya’s wife Agnes says she was disappointed the legendary footballer had to be honoured first in South Africa rather than in his homeland Zimbabwe.
Shaya was Saturday honoured with the Zimbabwe Achievers Award at a glistering event in Johannesburg.
“We had to travel all the way with my husband for him to be honoured in a foreign land. This is disheartening, ” Agnes told NewZimbabwe.com Sunday upon arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
“Shaya played all his career in local stadiums and only had to travel some weekends to play for Moroko Swallows, but some people in South Africa had to give him the respect he deserves.
“If they cannot honour a soccer star at the level of Shaya, then it raises more questions than answers.”
She said during Shaya’s heyday, she would know in the coming game, the opposition players would not stop the fire coming from Shaya.
“Shaya would be kicking me during the night while in bed and I would know that he will be Man-of-the-Match of that game,” she said with a chuckle.
“What Shaya has done to lift Zimbabwean soccer and sports in general deserves recognition locally from powers that be when he is still alive.”
The wife went on to say that, the Mastermind, as he was nicknamed, enjoyed his weekend stay in South Africa when he met former players at the event.
They included Alexander ‘The Cool Ruler’ Maseko, Ian ‘Dibango’ Gorowa, Charles Johanne, among other foreign based legends.
During his playing time, Shaya was a finalist on the annual soccer star calendar a record 11 times. He was a soccer star of the year five times and three of them consecutively.