Takesure Chinyama: From Golden Boot Winner to Coaching in Poland

Former Zimbabwean footballer Takesure Chinyama may no longer be in the spotlight back home or in neighboring South Africa, where he played for Soweto giants Orlando Pirates. However, in Poland, the former striker remains highly regarded, with his past achievements immortalized at his former club, Legia Warsaw.

Chinyama’s impact in Polish football is evident, with Legia Warsaw displaying a pair of his Adidas boots in their museum. These boots, as seen in a video shared on social media by UK-based former H-Metro reporter Chipo Sabeta, were worn by Chinyama during the 2008/09 Ekstraklasa season—a campaign in which he made history.

That season, Chinyama clinched the Golden Boot award after scoring 19 goals, sharing the accolade with Paweł Brożek. The Zimbabwean forward notably outscored Polish football icon Robert Lewandowski, who was still playing in his homeland before moving to Europe’s top leagues. His achievement was groundbreaking, as he became the first non-European player to win the prestigious award in Poland’s top-flight league.

Transition to Coaching

Now based in Poland, Chinyama has embarked on a new journey in football—coaching. He was recently appointed as one of the trainers at the Polish academy KS Bibiczanka, where he is mentoring young players.

“Takesure Chinyama – former footballer of Legia Warsaw and the top scorer of the Polish Ekstraklasa in 2009, a representative of Zimbabwe, begins his coaching career at the START Sport Academy and will support the further development of players training at the Football Academy KS Bibiczanka,” the academy announced.

As part of his coaching duties, Chinyama is working with youth teams from the 2006 to 2013 age groups, ensuring that young talents have direct exposure to a player of his experience.

To further enhance his coaching career, Chinyama recently earned his CAF coaching license and is now working towards obtaining his UEFA coaching badges. His transition from a prolific striker to a mentor signifies his continued passion for the sport and his commitment to developing future football stars.