The ManicaPost
Moffat Mungazi’s FOOTY TOOTNOTES
OVER the recent past weeks events which had a profound effect on our domestic game and likely to shape its future unfolded, generating loads of interesting points to ponder which many are still digesting.
While kudos were attached to some individuals that were protagonists in these episodes, some also deserve special mention. From former national team gaffer Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa taking leave of the senior men’s soccer team to Warriors midfielder Marvelous Nakamba’s celebrated transfer to Aston Villa and the death of veteran football administrator Willard Manyengavana . . .
Dube’s Princely Performance
Warriors striker Prince Dube scored a personal milestone with the squad as he hit a hatrick in a single match during an African Nations Championship qualifier against Mauritius at Babourfileds recently, with Rahman Gumbo’s charges prevailing 3-1. For that historic exploit, the Highlanders gunslinger joins an illustrious list of legendary players that includes Shackman Tauro (against Zanzibar, 1982), Vitalis Takawira (against Cameroon, 1995), Gilbert Mushangazhike (against Vietnam, 1997), Agent Sawu (against Eritrea, 1999), Peter Ndlovu (against Swaziland, 2004) and Knowledge Musona (against Liberia, 2017) who have all accomplished a similar feat with the team in the past.
End of an Era for Mhofu
With the team starting preparations for the Chan qualifiers, veteran trainer Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa threw in the towel following an underwhelming outing at the Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Egypt recently. The history-making tactician is the most successful in the local game’s lore and championed Zimbabwe’s qualification to their maiden appearance at the 2004 Afcon finals in Tunisia and repeated the deed by guiding the team at the just-ended biennial football jamboree. Serving the country with virtually unrivalled success, the former Warriors captain has also won the most Cosafa Cups (six) that his achievements with the team remain unmatched. Many followers of the game will be keenly watching to follow what his next move shall be: whether he will return to the dugout with a club where he, again, enjoyed storied success with Dynamos during the Glamour Boys’ most triumphant period or stay by the wayside.
Mushekwi Gesture
In a gesture of benevolence, Nyasha Mushekwi has secured a luxury passenger coach he will hand over to his former club CAPS United for the team’s use in a signal to acknowledge the role the club played in the development and growth of his career as a budding footballer. Procured from China where he is based, the 45-seater JAC bus will cost the Zimbabwe international striker a cool US$120 000 as it comes with fitted specials, customised features and specific extras such as MaKepeKepe’s green and white colours, among others. This comes hot on the heels of a similar gesture by ex-Bosso son Gabriel Nyoni who recently wrote off the outstanding dues the club owed him “in recognition of the contribution that Highlanders made to my career and as a contribution to its financial well-being and particularly its focus on young players . . .” after he joined Maritzburg in the South African Absa Premiership.
A Marvelous Move
After joining English Premiership returnees Aston Villa, Marvelous Nakamba set a new standard and raised the bar higher after his record-smashing transfer from Club Brugge in Belgium with whom he featured in the Uefa Champions League. It is arguably the move of the decade involving a Zimbabwean and has got many football enthusiasts excited and purring. The gifted midfielder follows in the footsteps of such greats as Benjani Mwaruwari, Peter Ndlovu and Bruce Grobbelaar who have previously seen action in the world’s most followed football league.
That there are also tidy sums involved in the deal (the £12 million fee which exchanged hands between the two club and the £55 000 per-week he will earn) makes his transfer the most pricey involving a local player in the country’s history while he also becomes Zimbabwe’s highest paid athlete today.
Again, his sale-on value has continued to sour since moving to Europe for the first time after settling in France before moving to Netherlands, Belgium and now England. Also, it explains why Aston Villa have invested in him for the next five years if things pan out according to plan. Overall, this all highlights how his professional career continues on the ascendency trajectory after graduating from the Bantu Rovers academy and provides a stern reminder of how we need to invest in junior football structures.
The Return of Denver
Forgotten attacker Denver Mukamba, who had slipped from the DeMbare radar and sunk into oblivion after a drug-plagued career which threatened to devour him and his game, bounced back in style as a substitute when he netted to salvage a point for Chapungu in their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Manica Diamonds recently. The fervent prayer among followers of the game is that Denver will mend his wayward ways at the air force side and does not pull a disappearance act again, what with even his coach Rodwell Dhlakama cooing about his quality. And the sincere hope is that the former Warriors skipper is clawing his way out of the wilderness to reclaim his place as one of the brightest prospects to illuminate the domestic scene who, at the peak of his powers, was crowned the best player in the land. Sadly, Mukamba could not hit the heights his huge potential promised and had a doomed stint in South Africa before returning home to plunge into a drugs dungeon. With his star dimming, the boy the call Mundikumbuke battled substance abuse and became an outcast at his beloved Dynamos where he had made a name for himself.
Manyengavana Loss
The local game lost one of its sharpest minds when Willard Manyengavana passed on recently as he collapsed while working out at a gym. The seasoned administrator is credited for changing the face of the Zifa Northern Region Division One for the better, transforming it into a lucrative venture that attracted corporate sponsorship through private-public partnerships which saw the league rewarding excelling footballers and staging a knockout tournament. From the tributes that poured in, Manyengavana was described as a steadfast leader under whose stewardship the sport flourished. A sincere friend of football exuding passion, his involvement with the game radiated distinction and was determined to see it grow while working hard tirelessly to ensure that the league became the most vibrant among the four second-tier divisions.
He was in the Premier Soccer League and CAPS United trenches in other capacities at some points of his remarkable journey in football administration and no doubt our game will be poorer without him. May His Dear Soul Rest In Eternal Peace!
If it is about football that you care, let’s share the cheer because we are made for the game, mad about the game!
Feedback:
The great news in our game that Warriors midfielder Marvelous Nakamba signed for English Premiership side Aston Villa is so sweet.
That is a strong move to prove that we have talent in Zimbabwe and need to revive our junior leagues as well as identify, groom and nurture young talent so that we can have more players who can turn out for some of the world’s biggest teams. – Tawanda Mhlanga, Dangamvura.
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