That is the incident of 1970. Grobeler was forced to join the army before he could even reach his teenage years. He was then sent to the Bush War to suppress a revolution against white rule in Rhodesia. This war ended in 1980. Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe. And there, the black majority was given the right to vote.
Zimbabwean footballer Grobeler started his journey from a football club in Bulawayo. From there to the Durban City team and the Vancouver White Caps. And from here, he became a Liverpool legend. He played 440 matches in Liverpool in his 13-year career. During this time, he won 13 major titles for the club.
But that war is still the biggest chapter of his life. When you come back from war, you will never be the same person you were before, Grobbelare said. You have to live with the consequences of that war for the rest of your life.
In an interview with the BBC World Service, Grobbela spoke about his memories of the war and his career at Liverpool. Groebeler said football actually saved him from this. He did not have to live with the memory of the war. After that he was able to spend so much time in football that the war was largely sidelined.
Grobbelaar said he didn’t have to go through the depression of war because of this football life. I have felt very lucky over the years. I didn’t have to go through depression or depression because football saved my life.
He lost friends, lost comrades in the bush war in Rhodesia. Most importantly, he killed the opponent’s guerilla with his own hands. And neither cricket nor baseball is beside him to overcome the strange memories of war; Football came to help.