
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE power of the game of football to foster social cohesion will be at work when The Manica Post hosts the Heroes Social Soccer Gala, while youthful Mutare-born and Harare-based businessman, Fally Ipupa Junior will have a similar event in remembrance of his late father — a staunch Dynamos fan back then.
On August 17, Ipupa Junior will host four teams in Mutare in a social soccer fete that is being held in memory of his late father, Elijah ‘Gaza’ Sithole.
Fast rising Mutare social soccer outfit, Socco Golden Stars, Igwe Stars and Boarder Pirates make up the list of the three teams based in Mutare that will partake in the event, together with well-established Harare social soccer ensemble, Pan Jap Motors FC.
Pan Jap Motors is a collection of yesteryear stars who include Dumisani Mpofu, Oscar Machapa, Masimba Dinyero, Washington Pakamisa and David Sengu, among many other footie geniuses who used to roam in our football stadia.
Ipupa Junior, himself a passionate Dynamos fan, born and bred in the eastern border city, said: “This is an initiative that I thought will help honour a man who supported Dynamos for a lifetime. He was the chairman of Dynamos Supporters’ Association Manicaland Chapter for quite some time. He loved Dynamos with a passion, so therefore, I just felt this will be a benefiting remembrance for him.”
Ipupa Junior, who still harbour fond memories of how he attended Dynamos matches in the company of his late father, who passed on when he was doing Form One, said although they are finalising on the actual venue, the tournament will be held on August 3.
“We will have prizes for winners and lots of fun during the event. We are finalising on the actual venue, but what we can confirm for now is that it will be held on August 3 in Mutare,” he said.
Similarly, Zimpapers’ leading Manicaland weekly newspaper, The Manica Post will host a 10-team Heroes Social Soccer Gala exactly a week after the Gaza Sithole Memorial Tournament.
The event is part of the publication’s series of wellness and health promotion events.
The Manica Post Editor, Cletus Mushanawani, said: “We are going ahead with the strategy to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles among adults, and social soccer is one vehicle that we know will go a long way in fostering healthy lifestyles among adults. It is an event to enjoy as families and friends as people gather in a relaxed atmosphere and sweat it out on the field of play.”
Mushanawani said they will have prizes for winners.
“We are hoping to reward outstanding teams, but at the same time there is need by all means necessary to maintain professionalism by being strict on the age of participants. We feel social soccer can be used to fight some non-communicable diseases, hence the need to host such events as a way to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles,” said Mushanawani.
Such is the power and popularity of social soccer that almost all contemporary communities — urban and rural — are finding common understanding and cohesion through social soccer.
As it appears, the social soccer frenzy is leaving no one and no place behind!