Former Harambee Stars coach son explains why he chose Zimbabwe over Kenya
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 30.12.25. | 08:40
Fabisch has emerged as one of the standout performers for Zimbabwe during their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 campaign
Jonah Fabisch, the son of former Harambee Stars head coach Reinhard Fabisch, has opened up on the deeply personal reasons behind his decision to represent Zimbabwe rather than Kenya or Germany at the international level.
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Fabisch has emerged as one of the standout performers for Zimbabwe during their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 campaign.
The tall and intelligent midfielder has impressed with composed and industrious displays for the Warriors, particularly in matches against Egypt and Angola, where he demonstrated maturity beyond his years.
Operating at the heart of midfield, Jonah has anchored Zimbabwe’s play with calm authority, knitting the game together and providing balance in both defense and attack.
His style suggests a footballer shaped by environment as much as talent, a player who appears to have absorbed the game almost by inheritance.
He is the son of the late Reinhard Fabisch, the respected German tactician whose influence left a lasting mark on African football.
Fabisch senior remains a revered figure in Kenya, where he engineered a footballing renaissance by guiding Harambee Stars to the final of the 1987 All Africa Games on home soil, a feat that remains one of the country’s finest footballing achievements.
After his Kenyan success, Reinhard moved to Zimbabwe, coaching the national team between 1992 and 1994, before a brief stint with South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns.
He later returned to Kenya for a second spell with Stars. He passed away in 2008 after a long battle with cancer.
Seventeen years later, his name has found renewed resonance through his son, who was only seven years old at the time of his father’s death.
Despite his young age, the influence Reinhard had on Jonah’s life and football journey was profound.
Jonah’s path into the game was shaped by a household steeped in sport; while his father was a celebrated football coach, his mother, a Zimbabwean, was a distinguished athlete who competed in the one hundred meter hurdles and once held the national record.
Born in Kenya in 2001 during his father’s second stint as Harambee Stars coach, Jonah spent the first months of his life in East Africa before relocating to Zimbabwe and later to Germany with his mother, following his father’s move to coach in the United Arab Emirates.
As a result, he grew up eligible to represent three nations: Kenya offered a birthplace connection, Germany represented his father’s homeland, and Zimbabwe stood as his maternal home and emotional anchor.
For Jonah, the decision was clear.
“I grew up mostly with my mother, and I have always felt a very strong connection to Zimbabwe. My father coached there and loved the country deeply. I always had this feeling inside me that if I ever had the opportunity to play international football, I would choose Zimbabwe,” Jonah told CAF Online.
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He revealed that while Germany came calling at the youth level, his senior international future had been settled long before the opportunity arose.
“I was called up several times to the German youth national teams, but for my senior career, my decision was clear quite early. With Kenya, I only lived there during the first months of my life, so I do not have a strong connection. I had the option, of course, but I never really considered it,” he explained.
Now wearing the colors of the Warriors, Jonah is beginning to justify that decision on Africa’s biggest football stage.
His performances at the AFCON have drawn praise and placed him firmly among Zimbabwe’s most promising midfielders.
“Making my Africa Cup of Nations debut is very special. It marks the beginning of my journey at this level, and it is a huge honor. Playing on Africa’s biggest football stage comes with a lot of emotion but also a great sense of responsibility. It is something I will always remember,” Jonah said.
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