At 32, Kudakwashe Mahachi has gone from a career-threatening scandal and his release by SuperSport United to becoming one of the Zimbabwe PSL’s standout left-backs—earning the moniker ‘Special One’ from Benjani Mwaruwari.
Mahachi parted ways with SuperSport United [now Siwelele FC] in May 2023 after he was released amid a damaging marital scandal. It was a dark chapter that many felt had shuttered his career.
Although he was later acquitted, he found it impossible to land a new club in the Betway Premiership. After months of searching, he was roped in for a short stint with Ghana’s Medeama SC.
He left Ghana and later resurfaced with Zimbabwean PSL side Manica Diamonds in the 2025 season, but again failed to hit top form and was cut into the wilderness.
However, after being given a chance by Highlanders FC coach and former Manchester City forward Benjani Mwaruwari early this year, in a move Mahachi once told FARPost was his “last chance saloon”, the 32-year-old has turned back the hands of time.
Mahachi, who once dazzled in the Betway Premiership as a left winger with sizzling forays, has been reinvented by the former Manchester City and Jomo Cosmos striker into one of the best left-backs in Zimbabwe.
Armed with a deft left foot, Mahachi has delivered several Man-of-the-Match performances down the left channel, featuring in 21 of the 25 matches played so far. Highlanders also have forward Mongameli Tshuma, who has been a revelation in the ongoing 2026 season.
‘KUDA MAHACHI IS SPECIAL’ – BENJANI MWARUWARI
Mahachi’s revival has even surprised Mwaruwari, who told FARPost that the 32-year-old is a ‘special one’ that any coach would want in his team based on his never-say-die attitude.
“He is good. Very good. He has given shift after shift for us, and that’s why he is here. He’s a very important player, a special one. Even when he is not playing, he reads the game so well for us, and he pushes the players from the bench,” Mwaruwari told FARPost.
“We talk a lot on and off the field. Honestly, he is quality, and he is rewriting his path — I don’t even know how best to explain it. When he came, we were desperate to have a player to lift the players up, and he filled that gap easily, and you can see how he even relates with the team’s fans. It’s amazing. I don’t have the right words to describe how good he is.
“He’s an excellent player. Every coach would love to have him because, as long as he has his boots on, he can deliver. He’s also a massive morale booster for the young players.
“The way he has reinvented himself after a serious slump is hard to imagine. He is a great example that no matter what you’re going through, you have to pick yourself up and rise. For us, he is a key driving force, especially considering he has been playing in a position he is not really known for.”
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