Jonah Fabisch from third division team Erzgebirge Aue fulfilled a dream at the Africa Cup. He followed in his father’s footsteps in the national jersey of Zimbabwe. He is revered as a hero in parts of Africa.
It was midway through the first half of the Africa Cup of Nations game between Zimbabwe and Egypt. Mo Salah carried the ball in the opponent’s attacking third and wanted to dribble towards the penalty area. But then Zimbabwe’s Jonah Fabisch came from the side, entangled the Egyptian superstar in a duel and ultimately separated him from the ball. “I’ve always dreamed of this”says Fabisch later. “To play against such a superstar, who feels like he has won everything that is possible. And to win a duel against him too.”he adds.
Outsiders Zimbabwe ultimately lost the group game against the “Pharaohs” somewhat unfortunately 1:2 – also because Salah got his moment in the final phase and was able to score the decisive goal. Nevertheless, the evening remained somewhat triumphant for Fabisch. His appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations was a dream story within the family.
Son of a football coach
Jonah Fabisch was born in Kenya and spent part of his childhood in Guatemala, Barbados, Zimbabwe and Benin before spending his youth in Hamburg and becoming a footballer. Background: His father Reinhard was a football coach – specializing in Africa. Fabisch senior worked as a national coach for Kenya, Zimbabwe and Benin, and in between he also worked as a club coach in the Caribbean and later in the Arab region.
During his time in Zimbabwe, Reinhard Fabisch met the Zimbabwean hurdles record holder, Chawada Kachidza, and the two married. From this marriage a son, Jonah, was born. When the boy was almost seven years old, Reinhard Fabisch died from cancer. But he had made himself immortal in parts of Africa. “My father still enjoys hero status in Kenya, Benin and Zimbabwe”says Jonah Fabisch. “It’s impressive to hear only good things about your father. No matter where you go in these countries.”
Single parents Mother and son move to Hamburg
Jonah – logically – also fell for football. “My father played football with me every free second he had with the family back then”Jonah remembers. “I somehow had no other chance than to become a footballer”he thinks. After her father’s death, the now single mother moved to Hamburg with her son. Jonah started with club football in Norderstedt, then quickly moved to Hamburger SV, where he worked through all the youth teams.
He then played for HSV in the regional league for three years before moving to second division team 1. FC Magdeburg in 2023. But things didn’t work there. Fabisch didn’t get beyond the reserve role and went to Erzgebirge Aue in 2024. There he developed into a regular third division player.
Suddenly National player
And he became a national player. “I decided to play for Zimbabwe when I was 16 when I was a youth player at HSV.”says Fabisch, who has also played for the German U-national teams. “I have a special relationship with Zimbabwe, with my mother’s country, with our relatives there,” he explains.
He made his debut in a test match against Ethiopia in the fall of 2021, before his dip in performance led to a break in the national team. It wasn’t until the summer, during a course in Zimbabwe, that he was called back again. He convinced and played his way into the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. Where he was actually intended as a backup in midfield. But in the opening game against Egypt he was suddenly in the starting line-up. “That really wasn’t to be expected.”said a delighted Fabisch, whose mother watched the game from the stands.
teammates with “impressive individual possibilities”
The now 24-year-old actually wanted to use his time with the team at the Cup to learn. “We have players on the team from Premier League – you can see what you’re still missing, even at the top.”he explains.
For him, the individual possibilities of his teammates are quite impressive: “The top African players have a lot to offer, especially athletically. I could already see what I still have to work on to get to this level.”he explains. On the other hand, he also recognized his possibilities: “I also noticed that I can keep up well in some areas and am at a similar level.”
“It’s about existence”
In general, he observed that African football is much more intense, especially in terms of athletics, than elsewhere. “The international matches are played with enormous enthusiasm and commitment. You can feel the importance of every single game. It’s not just about three points. For many of the players, it’s downright about their existence.”he explains.
The game is played correspondingly hard, often with challenges to legality and beyond. After the narrow opening defeat, Zimbabwe continues with the second group game against Angola on December 26th. The last group game in preliminary group B is against South Africa on the 29th.