Matthew Rusike

Tyrell Matthew Benjamin Rusike (born June 28, 1990) is a retired Zimbabwean footballer who played as a midfielder and striker for Stabæk.He now operates as a football agent.

Matthew Rusike
Personal information
Full name Tyrell Matthew Benjamin Rusike
Date of birth (1990-06-28) 28 June 1990
Place of birth Harare, Zimbabwe
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Forward
Youth career
2006–2009 BN Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Charlton Athletic
2009–2011 University of Pretoria 8 (0)
2011–2012 Jomo Cosmos 14 (3)
2012–2015 Kaizer Chiefs 54 (12)
2015 Halmstads BK 11 (4)
2016 Helsingborgs IF 25 (4)
2017 Club Africain 11 (4)
2018–2019 Cape Town City 12 (2)
2019–2020 Stabæk 3 (0)
International career‡
2009–2017 Zimbabwe 8 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 May 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 May 2021

Early life

Rusike was born to a Zimbabwean retail franchise owner and English mother, a hairdresser. He started playing soccer for the BN Academy and then Charlton Athletic at the age of 16. He attended St. George's College. He also played rugby as a winger or full back. He was also the youngest ever player to play for the St. George's College soccer first team at the age of 13. He is a role model to many St. George's College students.[1]

Club career

Monomotapa United

He left Charlton Athletic in 2009 after having some work permit issues and came back to Zimbabwe where he won the league in his first year. He also had discipline problems and he contemplated quitting football and going to university but he was contacted by Jomo Sono to join Jomo Cosmos.[2]

Jomo Cosmos

He was released by University of Pretoria and joined Cosmos in the National First Division and helped them gain promotion to the Premier Soccer League. Clubs like Bolton Wanderers, Ajax Cape Town, Kaizer Chiefs and even clubs from Belgium and France expressed their interest.[3] He also won the 2011–2012 Ezenkosi Player of the Year getting 33.26% of the votes from fans.[4]

Kaizer Chiefs

He joined Chiefs in 2012. He scored on debut against Bloemfontein Celtic in the Macufe Cup final in a 4–3 loss.[5] He scored his first league goal for Chiefs on 17 December 2012 against AmaZulu in a 2–0 win.[6] He also scored his first CAF Champions League goal over Liga Muçulmana on 1 March 2014 in a 4–0 win.[7] He also scored in the CAF Confederations Cup against ASEC Mimosas in the 86th minute in a 2–1 win.[8] On 22 April 2015, he scored two goals against Polokwane City which gave Kaizer Chiefs a 4–1 victory which crowned Chiefs as champions of the Premier Soccer League.[9] He played his last match for Chiefs on 9 May 2015 against Chippa United in a 2–0 win.[10]

He also holds South African citizenship and is therefore registered as a local.

Halmstads BK

On 24 July 2015, Rusike signed a one and half year deal with the Swedish club, having signed with Portuguese club C.D. Nacional initially.[11] His league debut for the club came on 9 August 2015 in a 0–0 home draw with Åtvidabergs FF. He was replaced by Alexander Henningsson in the 69th minute.[12] His first Allsvenskan goal came on 23 August 2015 in a 2–2 home draw with Örebro SK. His goal, scored in the 49th minute, leveled the score at 1–1.[13]

Helsingborgs IF

In January 2016, Rusike moved to another Swedish club in Helsingborgs IF. He made his league debut for the club on 3 April 2016 in a 1–1 away draw with Gefle IF. He was subbed on for Linus Hallenius in the 71st minute.[14] He scored his first league goal for the club on 8 May 2016 in a 2-1 home victory over Malmö FF. His goal, assisted by Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, came in the 81st minute. This was just three minutes after he had been subbed on, replacing Linus Hallenius.[15]

Club Africain

In January 2017, following Helsingborg's relegation, Rusike moved to Tunisian side Club Africain. Originally, Rusike had been set to move to CS Sfaxien, but they were handed a transfer ban.[16] Rusike's league debut for the club came on 15 February 2017 in a 1–0 away loss to AS Marsa.[17] His first league goal in Tunisia came as part of a brace on 26 February 2017. The match was against the club Rusike had joined before they were handed their ban, CS Sfaxien. The match ended 2–1 in favor of Africain. Rusike's goals, the first of which was from the penalty spot, came in the 83rd and 92nd minutes, leading his side to victory.[18] Rusike left the club in June, having not received his months wages.[19]

Cape Town City

Rusike was finally picked up by Cape Town City F.C. on deadline day of the January 2018 transfer window.[20] He made his league debut on 17 February 2018 in a 1–0 away loss against former his former club Kaizer Chiefs.[21]

He went to Norwegian club Stabæk in 2019, but following several serious injuries he retired from football in early 2020 at the age of 29.[22]

Career statistics

International goals
As of 17 November 2016. Scores and results list Zimbabwe's goal tally first.[23]
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
113 November 2016National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe Tanzania2–03–0Friendly

References
  1. "Matthew Rusike opens lid to his life - The Standard". The Standard. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  2. "Matthew Rusike opens lid to his life - The Standard". The Standard. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  3. "Matthew Rusike opens lid to his life - The Standard". The Standard. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. siwengu.com/2012/05/31/matthew-rusike-has-been-voted-ezenkosis-player-of-the-year-by-the-clubs-fans-for-season-2011-2012/?cbg_tz=-480
  5. "Celtic are Macufe kings". Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. www.realnet.co.uk. "Kaizer Chiefs beat AmaZulu". Kick Off. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  7. www.realnet.co.uk. "Stuart Baxter heaps praise on Matthew Rusike". Kick Off. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. sports.howzit.msn.com/football/chiefs-1-2-asec-mimosas
  9. www.realnet.co.uk. "PSL Absa Premiership Kaizer Chiefs 4–1 Polokwane City". Kick Off. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. www.realnet.co.uk. "Kick Off Mobile Site". www.kickoff.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  11. "Rusike joins Halmstad".
  12. "Halmstads vs. Atvidabergs – 9 August 2015 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  13. "Halmstads vs. Orebro – 23 August 2015 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  14. "Gefle vs. Helsingborgs – 3 April 2016 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  15. "Helsingborgs vs. Malmo – 8 May 2016 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  16. "Rusike joins Club Africain, CS Sfaxien handed transfer ban".
  17. "AS Marsa vs. Club Africain – 15 February 2017 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  18. "Club Africain vs. CS Sfaxien – 24 July 2017 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  19. "Matthew Rusike still on the hunt for a club after leaving Club Africain".
  20. "Cape Town City sign former Kaizer Chiefs striker Matthew Rusike". goal.com.
  21. "Kaizer Chiefs vs. Cape Town City – 17 February 2018 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  22. Holmlund, Tor Bjørnar (29 May 2020). "Må trolig legge opp". Budstikka (in Norwegian). p. 18.
  23. "Matthew Rusike profile". Soccerway. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
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