Thomas Langu Sweswe (born 9 August 1981) is an association footballer from
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
. Sweswe is a
defender, primarily operating as a centre back, and has played for nine different clubs as well as the
Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team (Nicknamed ''The Warriors''), represents Zimbabwe in men's international football and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), formerly known as the Football Association of Rhodesia. The tea ...
.
Club career
Early career
Born in
Gweru in central
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
, Sweswe began his career in 2001 with
CAPS United
CAPS United F.C. is a Zimbabwean association football, football club based in Harare. Formed in 1973, the team rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was formerly nicknamed the Manchester Road Boys because of their former add ...
, a club based in the country's capital. He made twenty-two appearances for the team, scoring once. In 2002, he moved on to another
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
-based club, Sporting Lions FC. Despite only staying at the club for two years, Sweswe racked up sixty-one appearances for Lions. In 2004 the defender moved on again, this time to Real United in Division 1, making seven appearances and scoring only his second goal in senior football while at the club. Same year in 2004, he joined
Highlanders FC, based in
Bulawayo, his fourth club in as many years. Played for only three months at the club and was signed by Manning Rangers fc in South Africa after a very good performance, his arrival at the club coincided with a lack of success for
Highlanders. They had previously qualified for every
CAF Champions League
The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club competition organized by the Confederation of African Football and co ...
tournament since 2000, and won the Zimbabwe Charity Shield in 2005, but failed to win any silverware during Thomas' stay in
Bulawayo. He played twelve games for
Highlanders FC.
2005–2009
Sweswe joined South African club
Manning Rangers
Manning Rangers is a now defunct South African Association Football, football club based in Durban. The side is best remembered as the Champions of the Inaugural season of South Africa's Premier Soccer League.
History
The club was founded in 192 ...
in 2004–2005, moving to a foreign club for the first time in his career and registering for Manning on 11 August 2004. He played eleven games for the club before moving back to
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
to play for
Dynamos FC. Sweswe stayed at Dynamos for just one season before moving on to another Zimbabwean club,
Mwana Africa FC, with which he reached Confederations cup quarter-finals and lost to TP Mazembe and played all the games in that tournament captaining the side. He played for Mwana in 2006 and 2007, as the club finished in third and sixteenth positions. After Mwana were relegated in 2007, Sweswe returned to Dynamos FC, where he had played in 2005. Dynamos finished as
Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League runners-up in 2008, two points off champions
Monomotapa United. They also competed in the
2008 CAF Champions League
The 2008 CAF Champions League was the 44th edition of the CAF Champions League, the Africa's premier club football tournament prize organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Al Ahly of Egypt defeated Coton Sport of Cameroon in th ...
, reaching the semi-finals before being knocked out by
Cotonsport Garoua of
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. Sweswe played in all of their thirteen Champions League games, including both semi-final legs. In 2009 Sweswe moved to Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa after he signed a three-year contract.
Kaizer Chiefs
Thomas Sweswe returned to South Africa in the 2009–10 season, signing for arguably the biggest club in his career,
Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club (often known as Chiefs) are a South African professional football club based in Naturena, Johannesburg South, that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The team is nicknamed ''AmaKhosi'', which means "Lords" or "Chie ...
. He made his debut for the club in the 3–1
MTN 8 2009 victory on 4 August 2009. Chiefs finished in third place in Sweswe's first season with them with Thomas playing in twenty-eight of their thirty
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
games. Chiefs slipped to fourth in 2010–11, but Sweswe only featured in nineteen of their games, missing the end of the season through injury. He wore the no. 3 shirt for the club. he was also part of the chiefs team which beat orlando pirates in league game n telkom cup final 3-1 and 3-0 starting all the games in front of 94,000 fans at fnb stadium. and also won many man of the matches awards and player of the month awards at his club chiefs.
Sweswe scored his first goal for
Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club (often known as Chiefs) are a South African professional football club based in Naturena, Johannesburg South, that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The team is nicknamed ''AmaKhosi'', which means "Lords" or "Chie ...
and the first
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
goal of his career with a header in a 1–0 win over
Mamelodi Sundowns on 4 December 2011. After the
2011–12 season, he was deemed surplus to requirements at Chiefs after the signing of fellow defenders
Siboniso Gaxa and
Morgan Gould
Morgan Leonard Gould (born 23 March 1983) is a South African international footballer who plays professionally for Sekhukhune United as a defender.
Club career
Born in Soweto, Gould began his senior career with Jomo Cosmos in 2001, before m ...
. Sweswe's final league appearance for Kaizer Chiefs came in a 0–0 draw with
AmaZulu
Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...
on 20 December 2011.
At chiefs in 2011–12 season he played about 17 until halfway then he got injured until his contract expired in June had a successful operation on his knee as was witnessed in the next season when he joined Bidvest Wits and went on to feature in 22 league games.
Bidvest Wits
On 27 June 2012, it was announced that Sweswe had signed a two-year contract with
Bidvest Wits
Bidvest Wits Football Club,
(simply often known as Wits University F.C. or Wits) was a South African professional football club from Johannesburg which played in the Premier Soccer League the first-tier of South African league football system. ...
. Prior to joining Bidvest, the defender held talks with fellow
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
club
Black Leopards
Black Leopards FC is a South African football club based in Thohoyandou, Vhembe Region, Limpopo that plays in the National First Division.
History
The club was founded in 1983 by business people in the Vhembe Region. In 1998 the club was tak ...
but the deal eventually fell through.
Upon joining Bidvest Wits, Sweswe was reunited with former Kaizer Chiefs teammate
Tinashe Nengomasha, and he cited this, combined with the fact that he would be joining another
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
-based club, as two of the main reasons for joining ''the Clever Boys'': he told ''The Herald'' " I am happy that I have signed with a Johannesburg club. I am at home here in Johannesburg and I aim to continue working hard, as I have always done, to help my new club win trophies. It also feels good that I will be playing with Tinashe...I believe we make a good team." He played full season at Bidvest Wits and played for about 28 games in his 1st season. In 2013–14 season he was granted with SA permanent resident and was registered as a local player but never played any official games because of injuries.
In September 2012 Sweswe was ruled out for two weeks after a collision with teammate
Aaron Mokoena
Teboho Aaron Mokoena (born 25 November 1980), known as Aaron Mokoena, is a South African former footballer. He is currently the assistant coach of Cape Town City.
Club career
Early career
Mokoena was born in Boipatong. He moved to Bayer Leverk ...
sustained in training left the defender with deep cuts to his mouth.
International career
Sweswe played for
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
at the
2007 Merdeka Tournament
The 2007 Merdeka Tournament is the 39th editions of the Merdeka Tournament and was held on 20 to 29 August 2007.
Groups Group stage
Group A
----
----
----
----
----
Group B
----
----
----
----
----
----
Knockout stage
Semi f ...
held in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. He scored a spectacular goal in the 4–2 loss to
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
in Zimbabwe's opening match on 21 August 2007 from just past the half-way line. The ''Warriors'' were eventually knocked out by
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
in the semi-finals. They played in the Cosafa tournament in Mozambique, losing in the finals to
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
on penalties. In 2007 he also played for Zimbabwe National team at the COSAFA tournament and the team was coached by Joey Antipas and Madinda Ndlovu he partnered James Matola at the centre back and where knocked out in the semi finals by Mozambique via the penalties shootouts. He also participated in the CAF Confederations cup with Mwana Africa from a small town of Bindura in Zimbabwe they reached the quarter finals and where knocked out by TP Mazembe of DR CONGO.
2010
Sweswe played in two of Zimbabwe's
2012 African Cup of Nations
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football ( ...
qualifiers, a 1–1 draw with
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
on 5 September and a 0–0 stalemate with
Cape Verde Islands on 10 October. He also made appearances in two
friendly matches, playing the final five minutes of the 3–0 loss to
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
on 2 June in his first game back after injury, before helping his country to a 3–1 win over
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
in November.
2011
The defender played in
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
's 1–0 defeat to
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
on 26 March in an
2012 African Cup of Nations
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football ( ...
qualifier. He made his second appearance of 2011 in the return fixture against Mali, on 5 June, which Zimbabwe won 2–1.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweswe, Thomas
1981 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Gweru
Zimbabwean men's footballers
Zimbabwe men's international footballers
Zimbabwean expatriates in South Africa
Expatriate men's soccer players in South Africa
CAPS United players
Men's association football defenders
Kaizer Chiefs F.C. players
Bidvest Wits F.C. players
Manning Rangers F.C. players
Highlanders F.C. players