Beaven Gwamure
Beaven Gwamure was a Zimbabwean footballer and coach. He was a former Chapungu Football Club midfielder and nomadic football coach. He died in Johannesburg, South Africa, after a short illness.
Background
He was born in 1962 in Mbare, Harare. He was married to Florence Banda and the couple had a daughter by the name Tatenda. He had a brother named Todd.
Career
Gwamure started his professional soccer career at the now-defunct Cone Textiles, which was later renamed Darryn Textiles and then Darryn T, in the early 1980s.
He was to later move to Air Force of Zimbabwe side Air Force United in 1985 with his teammate at Darryn Textiles, Thomas Mudzengerere. A gritty defensive midfielder, Gwamure did not stay long at Air Force United as he was quickly promoted to join another Air Force of Zimbabwe side Chapungu United who were based at Thornhill Airbase in Gweru and were under the tutelage of the late Lovemore “Mukadota” Nyabeza.
At Chapungu United, who had just been promoted to play in the then Super League (now Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League), Gwamure played alongside a number of fellow talented players such as Chasweka, Patrick Nechironga, Choddy Chirwa, Babton Nchenyela, Gift Chilunjika, Nkulumo 'Daidzaivamwe' Donga, Gary Mkandawire, Kennedy Chihuri, Brighton Dzapasi, Godfrey Chuchu, Jonah “Chivhu” Murehwa, Bigboy Ndlovu, Wonder Phiri, Perkins “Yellow” Nyamutamba, Victor Murehwa and the Muteji twins Cain Muteji and Abel Muteji.
After playing for Chapungu United for more than a decade, Gwamure hung up his boots in the late 1990s and turned his hand to coaching and he initially took charge of another Air Force of Zimbabwe side Blue Swallows together with the late Garnet Muchongwe.
But Gwamure did not stay long at Blue Swallows as he packed his bags and found himself coaching a number of lower division and Premiership sides such as Douglas Warriors, Underhill and Njube Sundowns.[1]
Death
Gwamure died on 24 December 2017, in Johannesburg, South Africa, after a short illness. Beaven died on Christmas eve of 2017 in Johannesburg after he suffered a stroke and had a brain hemorrhage, resulting in his subsequent death. He was buried in Harare.
