The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
In reference to late bloomers in any sphere in life, there is a saying that goes “like wine he matures with age”.
The phrase would apply to FC Platinum goalkeeper, Petros Mhari who feels he is enjoying his best year and although this has put him good stead to sweep accolades, both personal and with his side, he is not counting his chicks yet.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper has been receiving rave reviews this season with his performances at FC Platinum that have seen the side conceding the least number of goals so far in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
The former Hwange goal-minder is convinced he is on top of his game but remained reserved on the achievements he can make this year saying he does not want to speak too soon.
“I can rank this year as my best season so far because we have been playing well as a team and the number of goals that have gone past me are few. But at the moment I really cannot talk of my chances being named Goalkeeper of the year or winning the championship but I will have to focus on the game, pray to God, keep my belief and see what happens as we are still in competition with other teams,” he said.
Mhari has conceded 15 goals so far this year and while last season’s Golden Glove accolade eluded him, he looks on course to win the 2016 Goalkeeper of the Year and is a certain inclusion in the Soccer Star finalists and many put him among the favourites to win the big accolade.
Budro, as Mhari is known among his mates, says motivation they are receiving from the club executive, good work by the technical department and unity within the side has seen them go this far in the fight for the league title.
Although he acknowledged the recent draw against Ngezi Platinum Stars and the loss to Harare City has dented their chances, which saw FC Platinum slip from pole position to third on the log, they are remaining focused and intent fighting to the end.
The Filabusi born footballer said he remains indebted to Hwange as he believes that is where things turned around for him and he was able to turn himself into the shot stopper that he is today.
Despite being between the posts for Hwange in 2012, when the side survived relegation by a whisker, he was plucked by FC Platinum from the hot coal mining town when then Chipangano coach, Zambian Tenant Chilumba, was poached by Kugona Kunenge Kudada.
Budro grew up in Bulawayo’s suburb of Matshonana and made his first forays into football when he joined the Zimbabwe Saints junior ranks in 2001 as a striker but he was to shift to being a goal minder after one of their goalkeepers missed training and when it was time for shooting practice, their coach, Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe asked Mhari to take his place for the session.
In 2006, he moved base to Shangani where he joined then Division One side, Shangani FC, where then Hwange assistant coach, Nation Dube spotted him and convinced him to move to his team.
“I learnt a lot at Hwange although I was not always the first choice, I believe I am where I am because of that team and even when I left they understood I had to move to a new challenge,” said Mhari.
The goal minder was lured again by Chilumba to Power Dynamos in Zambia but had a change of heart at the last minute returning to continue his sojourn with the Zvishavane side.
Mhari brushed aside recent press reports in which he was named as being at the centre of a fight between two Zvishavane ladies saying he does not frequent bars as he does not drink alcohol, adding he is happily married to Lizzy Ncube. The couple has two children, Victor and Ashley.
“That issue negatively affected my relationship with my wife but we talked it through and things went back to normal. I don’t even know how my name was mentioned by those people because I don’t drink and do not frequent bars. When I am not at training or with my friends who are my teammates I will be at home watching African movies so this talk of women fighting for me was not true,” said Mhari.
The goalkeeper, who drives a Nissan Tiida, said he has been able to buy a stand in Harare’s Budiriro suburb with earnings from the game and is in the process of building a nine-roomed house, with two rooms now complete.
He urged footballers to plan wisely and think about the future when they are still in the game, adding that being focused has assisted him use his money wisely. On the elusive national team call-up, Mhari said he is not thinking much about it but would rather focus on his performance and leave the Warriors coach, Kalisto Pasuwa to decide on whether he deserves to don the Warriors jersey or not.
@rasmthembo
