The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
WHEN 2016 started, it began on a bad note for Hardlife Zvirekwi with the Warriors being knocked out at the group stage of the African Nations Championship staged in Rwanda from January and February.
Zvirekwi was part of Callisto Pasuwa’s team which finished at the bottom of Group D with one draw and two losses in the three matches they played against Zambia, Mali and Uganda. Zimbabwe suffered 1-0 losses to Zambia as well as Mali before they drew 1-1 with Uganda. With such an awful start to the year, Zvirekwi never envisaged that come the end, he would have won the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title with his club Caps United and in addition to win the Soccer Star of the Year accolade.
The Caps United right back beat his Makepekepe teammate Leonard Tsipa and FC Platinum goalkeeper Petros Mhari to be crowned the best footballer on display on the domestic scene. In an interview shortly after getting his accolade, Zvirekwi was delighted. He attributed winning the award to hard work and determination.
“The feeling is amazing, I am so happy I am so excited, I want to thank God for making this possible, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here today. It all goes to hard work, discipline, dedication, determination, I had to be determined through thick and thin I had to soldier on, I think this is such an honour for me to be crowned among the very best players in the country.
I never thought considering how this year started, when we went to CHAN bowing out in the group stages it was so disheartening I was imagining how this year is going to be when it had started so bad that we were knocked out in the group stage but now it has ended so good I am so good,’’ said Zvirekwi.
On what he was going to do with the $6 000 he got, Zvirekwi said he is still to decide with his wife on how best to invest that money. When Zvirekwi was named among the Soccer Stars in 2013, his wife Sarudzai was heavily pregnant with their first child, David who turns three early next year. Sarudzai was this time around able to take to the stage to share in the glory with her husband.
“We have to sit down with my wife, we will look into investing the money even for our kid, our baby David, he is turning three very soon. It’s magnificent, I am so joyful right now I don’t even know how to express the way I am feeling, being part of the Soccer Stars in 2013 and now I was looking for something better, improving from being part of the 11 finalists, I want to thank God for making it possible,’’ Zvirekwi said.
“It’s a very different feeling as they used to say I am on cloud nine, I am over cloud nine right now,’’ said Zvirekwi on being a finalist in 2013 and being winner in 2016.
He gave credit to his Caps United teammates, without whose support he feels he would not have won the biggest individual prize in Zimbabwean club football. Zvirekwi is now looking forward to being in Pasuwa’s squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon as well as turning out for Caps United in the African Champions League.
“I would like to give credit to the whole team at Caps United for me to be where I am today it all goes down to them, they have been helping me throughout the season for me to be where I am today.
As a player you would like to set yourself targets for you to better your career by winning things, by winning trophies, by winning medals so given an opportunity to participate at AFCON I would love to go all the way to the final and probably win it.
The champions league of course playing the big guns, we need to be there not just to add numbers but to compete and leave a mark in the competition,’’ Zvirekwi said.
The 29-year-old still entertains hopes of playing at the highest level in Europe, in Spain or England. He still believes doors can open up for him to go abroad to further his career.
Botswana based former Warriors captain Ephraim Chawanda was the guest of honour at the function, 28 years after he was himself crowned the 1988 Soccer Star of the Year after winning the championship with the now defunct Zimbabwe Saints.
Zimbabwe Football Association suspended Premier Soccer League chairman Peter Dube, former PSL chairman Twine Phiri, the league’s board of governors and Delta Beverages executives attended the awards ceremony.
Chawanda expressed optimism that the impasse between Zifa and PSL could be resolved for the sake of the players.
“I pray that the impasse, the evil spirit which is running around be exorcised, the gentlemen with the powers do the right thing all for the sake of the young men who are seating here,’’ Chawanda said.
Chawanda, Karombo together with Delta Beverages lagers general manager Munyaradzi Nyandoro and former Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa went on to present Zvirekwi, Tsipa and Mhari with their accolades.
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