When translated into English, the name Isheanesu means “God is with us.” Watching the tall, gangly defender Isheanesu Mauchi on the football field, it quickly becomes clear why his parents chose such a meaningful name.
The towering defender, now a regular fixture for Zimbabwe’s national football team, adorns a cross on his wrist. He says this symbol is meant to show anyone watching exactly who he is and what he believes in.
During televised matches, whenever the camera spots him, the 23-year-old knows he’s sending a bold message. Nicknamed the ‘Minister of Defence’ by Simba Bhora fans, Mauchi regards every tackle as a form of homage to his faith, turning defensive actions into a form of tithe.
The cross on my wrist is my way of identifying myself. When someone sees the cross, they think of Jesus,” he tells FARPost. “For 90 minutes, every time the camera pans to me, it shows a cross on my wrist, my boots, or my vest. I’m being a witness.”
Revered Zimbabwean football journalist Makomborero Mtimukulu has previously described the young defender as “way too smooth.”
“Isheanesu Mauchi has always confused me. The Simba Bhora defender is way too smooth, way too mature for his age. Very few Zimbabwean players are that refined, both on the field and socially. But now it’s making sense. I’ve been made aware by a European-based agent that Mauchi learnt the trade in Spain and even captained his academy team.”
MAUCHI IS THE PROFESSIONAL’S PROFESSIONAL
In many ways, the Harare-born star is a misfit in the modern game. While the stereotypical footballer conjures an image of a jet-setting playboy living life in the fast lane, Mauchi stands in stark contrast. He is a model professional, as devoted to spreading the word of God as he is to stopping attacks on Simba Bhora’s goal.
A conversation with Mauchi’s father, Peter, reveals the roots of his son’s zeal for the things of God. According to Peter, the Mauchi household is steeped in prayer whenever a Simba Premier Soccer League match approaches.
“We tell him to focus on the game, and we cover him in prayer,” Mauchi Senior tells FARPost.
Looking at Mauchi’s career, it’s unsurprising that he feels favoured by a higher power. When he moved from Spain to Zimbabwe in 2023, Mauchi initially only planned to train before returning to his base in Catalonia. The decision to stay in Zimbabwe permanently surprised even his father, Peter, who had always believed his son would remain overseas.
“I told someone I met at the gym that my son was in Harare for a short break, and he asked what he was doing in the meantime,” recalls Peter. “He then told me he knew Tonderai Ndiraya and could arrange for my son to train at Dynamos. He facilitated the introduction, and they allowed Isheanesu to train with the team.”
A BRUTAL FIRST DAY AT DYNAMOS FC
After an injury layoff left him unfit, Mauchi’s first day back at training was brutal. He was told not to return to DeMbare.
“One of the coaches told me not to come back to Dynamos after my first day; he felt I wasn’t ‘serious’. But I insisted and returned the next day. I trained until the end of the season, from about June, even without a contract. I trusted God that something would come. They allowed me to play in friendly matches,” the young defender explains.
Coincidentally, Ndiraya was fired by DeMbare and soon landed another job at Simba Bhora.
“When Coach Tonderai went to Simba Bhora, he then indicated he wanted to take me along,” adds Mauchi.
When it was time to return to Spain, Mauchi Senior remembers his son making a U-turn. His mind was made up; he wanted to stay in his homeland and pursue a football career in Zimbabwe.
“He makes the decisions, so we support him in everything. That’s how he stayed,” adds the proud father.
At Simba Bhora, he found himself in an environment where he was immediately thrown into the middle of a relegation scrap. Even at a struggling team, first-team appearances were almost non-existent for the youngster.
“That experience, fighting relegation, was important, though I only started one game, which was the last game. I came in off the bench once,” Mauchi explains.
FROM FIGHTING RELEGATION AT SIMBA BHORA TO WINNING THE LEAGUE TITLE
Perhaps through divine intervention or just sheer hard work and excellence, in his second season, Mauchi not only found himself in the starting line-up of Simba Bhora’s title-winning squad but was also voted as one of Zimbabwe’s best eleven footballers.
It was a remarkable turnaround for both the club and the player, who suddenly found themselves in conversations they never thought possible the previous year. A national team call-up would also come at the least expected time.
“A lot of things happened the right way the following season when we won the league. New players came in, and we bonded immediately. The pre-season was good, we went to Kariba for 14 days, we got to bond there, and chemistry was formed.”
A COSAFA Cup call came just after his second game of that title-winning season. Since then, Mauchi has become a regular feature of the Zimbabwean national team, after emerging as a formidable opponent renowned for not giving an inch to opposition attackers in the local league.
In the just-ended 2025 season, he was part of a defence that kept 18 clean sheets, guiding the team to a third-place finish. While he celebrates his new achievements, the soft-spoken star acknowledges that his career almost did not happen, as his parents were opposed to his decision to turn pro as a footballer.
“When I was about 15, my parents sounded negative about my football career … I think it was because I had failed my exams and hearing that I wanted to play Pro football probably sounded like an excuse. As a kid, I heard the NO, and I cried. I was disappointed.”
Following that conversation with his parents, the St George’s learner ceased taking football “too seriously.”
ADMIRATION FOR PAUL POGBA
That was until he met former Dynamos midfielder Eddie Mashiri. “We had just written our O’Level exams when I met Eddie Mashiri. Meeting Mashiri didn’t just rekindle the spark; it also grew it. Many things people learn at academies when young, I didn’t have them. Mashiri, who became my private trainer, took me through the basics, and we would do small things consistently. I think if he hadn’t come at the time he did, things would have been a bit different,” he says.
In a sense, Mauchi has always been a chameleon. Earlier in his life, he pursued various sports, including cricket, basketball, and rugby. After he settled for football, he also did not fixate on one position. When he decided to settle on football, he thought he could emulate the style of his idol, the stylish ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
“I didn’t know Pogba, and on his phone, there was Pogba and not me,” says his father jokingly. “On the wall, there was Pogba all over. That’s where I got to know him.”
It was perhaps a surprise when the Pogba idolising young defensive midfielder made the switch from midfield to defence. It was yet another transformation in the life of a man who has refused to be pinned down to one thing in his career.
Perhaps when one takes a closer look at his life, it is not surprising that Mauchi has shown such versatility and an appetite for sporting excellence. His sister, Tadiwa Mauchi, is a member of the national tennis team. She was Zimbabwe’s flag bearer in Namibia at the Zone 5 games. Another sibling, Nashe, plays hockey and tennis, while Anesu is a keen tennis player.
INTEREST FROM THE BETWAY PREMIERSHIP
As the oldest in the family, Mauchi, who has undoubtedly emerged as one of the leaders at Simba Bhora, has found himself taking on the responsibility of guiding his siblings through the rigours of professional sport.
After a period of sustained excellence in the Zimbabwean top-flight, rumours emerged that some of Mzansi’s Premiership sides were engaged in a tug of war to snatch the signature of one of Zimbabwe’s hottest prospects.
TS Galaxy, Amazulu and Durban City FC were among the sides said to be embroiled in a royal rumble to sign him before the season started in South Africa. For Mauchi, leaving Simba Bhora was never in question, even when cash-rich Scottland FC tried to entice him with a lucrative contract.
And the two consecutive appearances on Zimbabwe’s prestigious Soccer Star of the Year calendar have not fazed the prayer warrior who insists that he remains as grounded as ever.
As he looks ahead, including possibly an appearance at this year’s AFCON tournament, his compass remains unchanged. Football, he insists, is only one part of his purpose.
“After retirement, I want to serve more in the church. I currently help the youth pastor at my church, sometimes sharing teachings. When I retire, I want to do that more.”
Beyond football, Mauchi, who currently pays fees for four learners in Harare, envisions himself becoming a “kingdom financer,” committed to spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.
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