Willard Katsande (born 15 January 1986 in Mutoko) is a Zimbabwean retired professional footballer and coach, a former player of South African Premiership club Kaizer Chiefs and the Zimbabwe national team. He also played with Premiership sides Ajax Cape Town and Sekhukhune United.
Known as a midfield work-horse, Willard Katsande began his career playing for local lower division clubs in Zimbabwe such as Frontier Steel (2002âÂÂ2005), Feruka (2006âÂÂ2007) and a popular giant killing club from Mutare, called Highway (2007âÂÂ2009) from where he was recruited to play for Gunners F.C. in Harare for the 2009âÂÂ10 season.
At Gunners, Katsande made a huge contribution to the club's campaign in the CAF Champions League qualifiers. He was in irresistible form as the Gunners shocked African giants Al-Ahly 1âÂÂ0 at Rufaro Stadium in the Champions League second round match before eventually bowing out on 2âÂÂ1 aggregate, after losing the reverse encounter 2âÂÂ0 in Cairo. The Gunners would however finish 1st in their league, clinching the title as Zimbabwean Premier League Champions for the 2009âÂÂ10 season.
Willard Katsande made his professional debut for Ajax Cape Town on 12 December 2010 in a 2âÂÂ0 win against Mpumalanga Black Aces at Atlantic Stadium in Witbank. He was acquired by Ajax Cape Town in the summer of 2010 as a transfer from Zimbabwean club Gunners F.C., having left a lasting impression on the club by his earlier performance with the Gunners in the CAF Champions League qualifiers.
On 15 August 2011 Katsande joined Kaizer Chiefs, after Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung saw his performance while attending an international friendly match between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Katsande made his debut on 10 September 2011 in the MTN 8 final against Orlando Pirates coming in for Tshabalala in the 81st minute. In his first 12 league matches for Chiefs, Katsande got 5 yellow cards. Katsande won the Premier Soccer League and the Nedbank Cup in 2013 where he was the most booked player with 10 yellow cards including one red card. Katsande scored a long range scorcher after taking a few steps off the centre line in a 4âÂÂ1 win over Bloemfontein Celtic on 21 July 2013 with his fellow countryman Knowledge Musona scoring on debut.
Katsande scored his first official goal on 15 March 2014 in the Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates, the same team he made his debut against, being a header in the 61st minute in a 1âÂÂ0 win. He scored almost on the goal line and headed past Senzo Meyiwa. Katsande was the biggest winner at the Kaizer Chiefs Awards on 21 May 2014. He won Players' Player of the Season, May Player of the Month, Fan Player of the Season and Online Player of the Season and Player of the Season awards. He pocketed R230 000 in total prize-money after taking home most of the Awards. He scored his second official goal for Chiefs in a 2âÂÂ1 win loss to Black Leopards in the Nedbank Cup on 21 March 2015, exactly 371 days after scoring his first. He won the MTN8 and his second league title in 2014âÂÂ15.
Katsande was called up for national duty to represent Zimbabwe as of 2010, after his successful run with the Gunners, playing for the country's 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
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. Scores and results list Zimbabwe's goal tally first.
Gunners
Ajax Cape Town
Kaizer Chiefs